Each Child. Every Community.

A new statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) makes a clear connection between early childhood health and resilience. The statement emphasizes the importance of building safe, stable, and nurturing relationships to buffer adversity and build resilience.

The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) and the Smart Start network are already focused on strengthening young children’s relationships and promoting resilience through two Smart Start initiatives—NC Healthy & Resilient Communities Initiative and the Preschool Development Grant (PDG) funded Family Engagement and Leadership work. Both these initiatives address larger systems to ensure that the needs of our communities are met in a trauma-informed manner and are guided by those most affected by policies and community decisions.

These initiatives recognize that children’s health requires more than immunizations, healthy meals and snacks, and physical play. Rather, the focus is on rethinking current practice to include relationships as a critical element of long-term health and health care. When children develop positive, stable relationships, they also build healthier mental and physical well-being.

Additionally, children’s physical and mental health are inextricably woven together with that of their caregivers. When caregivers are struggling – whether from their own trauma or from current stressors, the symptoms of that stress will be exhibited in the child. Ensuring parents and caregivers have the skills and emotional supports to create positive relationships with their children is critical for raising healthy children.

With the NC Healthy & Resilient Communities Initiative and the Family Engagement and Leadership work, the Smart Start network can support healthy development by building buffers and protective environments for children and families, such as amplifying family voice, connecting families to services, and breaking down barriers, especially for historically excluded communities.