Connected Beginnings Training Institute

Nurturing the Social and Emotional Well-Being of Children Ages Birth to Eight

  • For optimal development "a child requires progressively more complex joint activity with one or more adults who have an irrational emotional relationship with the child. Somebody’s got to be crazy about that kid. That’s number one. First, last, and always." – Urie Bronfrenbrener

    Urie Bronfrenbrener

  • “Including parents in the screening process tells parents from the start that you value their observations, questions and concerns. And the cliché is true-parents in most cases are the best source of reliable and valid information about a child’s development.” – Elizabeth Twombley  

    Elizabeth Twombley

  • “Through relationships with parents and other significant caregivers, infants and toddlers learn what people expect of them and what they can expect of other people. Infants and toddlers learn through what they experience within relationships and what they observe in adults’ interactions with one another.” — Pathways to Prevention

    Pathways to Prevention

  • “What’s critical then is the interaction between genetics and what we call ‘serve and return’ between young children and the adults in their lives. The child does something and the adult responds. It’s the back and forth that literally, shapes the architecture of the brain.” — Jack Shonkoff

    Jack Shonkoff

  • “Children are not the people of tomorrow but the people of today. They have a right to be taken seriously and to be treated with tenderness and respect. They should be allowed to grow into whoever they were meant to be-the unknown person inside each of them is our hope for the future.” – Janusz Korczak

    Janusz Korczak

Latest News

Supporting Your Family’s Mental Health

In this interview with UNICEF, psychologist Lisa Damour shares her thoughts on parenting issues that may be coming up across the age groups during this time of such disruption. One highlight:

“Here’s the bottom line: Kids need predictability — as much predictability as you can offer in a situation like this. So don’t wake up every day and figure out the schedule. Try a schedule, or maybe try a provisional one for a week as a family and then review it at the end of the week.” Dr. Lisa Damour.

Facing This Together: A Message from Our Director

As the first weeks of our experience with COVID-19 pass, our initial ideas and plans for coping have been tested. Some of us have received far too much advice and resources, to the point of feeling overwhelmed. Others have felt isolated and perhaps as if their needs are not being addressed or understood. And of course, on any given day, we can feel somewhere between those two realities.

With so much to think about, Connected Beginnings would like to offer some support on staying emotionally well during this stressful time, for the families we serve and the families we call are own.

Please feel free to be in contact with any needs or concerns we may be able to help you address.

Stay safe. Stay Well.

Mary signature 2

Mary Watson Avery

A Message from the MA EEC

Connected Beginnings will be sharing the latest information regarding Massachusetts’ response to Corona virus. Please read MA EEC Commissioner Samantha Aigner-Treworgy’s latest message to the field, sent on Sunday, March 15, 11pm. This email has incredibly valuable information for ECE providers and those of us who support the early childhood field.

“Partners, colleagues, friends:

“Tonight, Governor Baker announced additional measures to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus.

“Effective immediately, the Department of Early Education and Care and the Department of Public Health are instructing organizations and providers to take the following steps:

“Cancel or reschedule large events or gatherings of 25 people or more for the foreseeable future. This does not include regular childcare services and is limited to events such as parties, field trips and on-site events not part of daily programming.

“All programs must implement policies on expanded environmental cleaning, whether or not there has been a known case of COVID-19 in the school. Providers must clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily using an EPA-registered disinfectant.

“Additional guidance that early childhood programs may encounter can be found here.

“The governor also announced that all beginning Tuesday, March 17th all Massachusetts public and private K-12 schools will close through April 6th. This is part of the state’s proactive plan to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. As this time, the statewide school closure does not apply to licensed early education and care programs and providers. 

“Children are not considered an at-risk population for this coronavirus, and child care is a critical resource for parents, families, businesses and first responders. As long as families continue to work, children need safe places to go. We know that these school closures will increase this need. We are not requiring child care facilities to close at this time.

“We support the decision that each individual, independent provider needs to make to do what’s best for your communities. Please continue working with your local board of health and your EEC licensor during this critical time.

“We will continue to provide resources and payments to programs that close due to COVID-19 related concerns to ensure they can support their staff and families.

“We are also committed to ensure that providers who have the capacity and willingness to expand services to accommodate families serving on the front lines have the resources to do so. If your program is able and prepared to expand in this critical time, please contact EEC by emailing office.commissioners@mass.gov

“We have updated our Frequently Asked Questions page to address parent and provider inquiries and will continue to do so.

“Please also refer to the latest guidance released for social distancing to help manage the spread of coronavirus. The guidelines address large gatherings, workplace settings, schools and child care providers.

“We encourage you to stay up to date by also visiting Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 webpage where you will find the latest information and recommendations on how to stay healthy.

“The health and safety of our state’s EEC community is our top priority. As we learn new information, we will continue to share it with you.

This FAQ for ECE providers by MA EEC is a good resource and will answer many of your questions. https://www.mass.gov/service-details/coronavirus-covid-19-eec-frequently-asked-questions

Activities and Services

To achieve its mission, Connected Beginnings relies on the related efforts of many other organizations, agencies, and systems including: Early Intervention, Early Education and Care, Civic leaders, decision-makers, and public … Read More