Mission

A project of Wheelock College’s ASPIRE Institute since July 2011, Connected Beginnings Training Institute (CBTI) was launched by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay/Merrimack Valley, Inc. (UWMB) in 2006 to build the capacity of infant and early childhood practitioners to engage in nurturing relationships with the very young children in their care. As research has revealed, positive, supportive, enriching and nurturing relationships with adults and other children are critical to young children’s social and emotional well-being, mental health, evolving brain architecture and capacity to learn.

Vision

Every child will start life with loving, responsive, and affirming relationships with parents and caregivers to provide a healthy foundation for life-long learning and connections with other people.

“Connected Beginnings addresses core professional development needs for program staff across a broad range of early childhood settings. The critical importance of training focused on the emotional and social development of young children cannot be overstated.”

-- Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D., Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (August 2011)