The 8th Annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering: Nurturing Healthy Beginnings

Last week FamilyWise held our 8th Annual Growing Resilient Communities Gathering, which highlighted ways we can support early childhood development. The virtual conference brought together 295 people from across the state to hear stories from those working to address the root causes of childhood adversity in their communities. 

Everyone comes to the table with their own experiences, and a theme that emerged at the event is we have to meet participants where they are. Keynote speaker Brandon Jones, Executive Director at Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health,  spoke about the impact of trauma, describing it as a “deep emotional wound.” Childhood trauma can lead to a wide array of negative health and social outcomes, and if providers push treatments and strategies without understanding the trauma someone carries and the extent to which they want to engage, we may be perpetuating or causing more harm.  

Part of addressing trauma is being able to recognize the systems that perpetuate it. Celeste Finn from Big Wonder Child Care spoke on the prevalence of systemic racism in Minnesota and ways to combat it in learning environments. Only by talking about structures that perpetuate inequity can we address disparities. “We need to have courageous conversations.” 

Throughout the day, those conversations highlighted the importance of recognizing and understanding all aspects of child development and the new methods that are evolving to support parents.

The Neuro-Nurturing Model

“We have to be innovative in how we address childhood mental health,” said Brandon Jones in his keynote. In that spirit, sessions featured unique approaches like the The Neuro-Nurturing model, which describes the four needs of children: Physical, Security, Nurturing, and Play. It’s important that both parents be involved in addressing their children’s needs while understanding their own capacity. Meanwhile, speakers discussing American Indian culturally-specific early childhood programs emphasized the importance of fostering cultural pride and preparing children to understand who they are as part of their early childhood development. 

FamilyWise also had an opportunity to present at the Gathering, with staff member Brittany Seidel sharing how we support child development through a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health’s Follow Along Program. The program is a free service that supports families with babies and young children as they grow and learn by offering culturally and linguistically inclusive outreach and navigation support. This helps parents be more in tune with their child’s development while they track its progression. “When we understand developmental milestones, we understand how to best connect, support, and when to reach out for resources of intervention.” 

To learn more about and watch conference session recordings from the Gathering, visit https://familywiseservices.org/8th-annual-growing-resilient-communities-gathering/