In this episode of Early Childhood Chapters, we talk with Dr. Thomasa Bond about why family first isn’t just a philosophy but a practical approach to building strong, safe, and successful early childhood programs.

Dr. Bond brings over 30 years of experience in early childhood education, including 14 years as a child care licensing consultant. She shares real-world strategies to help program directors, teachers, and administrators strengthen communication with families and create true partnerships that put children’s well-being at the center.

Highlights include:

• Why clear, open communication with families starts before enrollment
• How strong policies and procedures build trust instead of barriers
• Advice for handling challenging conversations with parents with empathy and respect
• The importance of staff training to support effective, consistent communication
• Real-life scenarios where centers repaired trust with families after mistakes
• Simple changes centers can implement to keep families engaged and informed

Dr. Bond is the author of two Gryphon House books: The Early Childhood Director’s Guide to Solving Everyday Challenges and Build Your Dream Team: How to Recruit, Train, and Retain Early Childhood Staff.

She’s dedicated to helping programs create safe, high-quality environments that truly partner with families to support every child’s learning and well-being.

Connect with Dr. Bond:

• Website: drthomasa.com
• LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X: @DrThomasaBond
• Virtual and in-person training provided through Early Childhood Education Growth LLC
• Annual early childhood conference

For the episode transcript, video and other resources, view this on our website!

In this episode of Early Childhood Chapters, we speak with Dr. Ginger Welch, clinical psychologist, author, and early childhood expert, about how educators can better understand and respond to challenging behaviors in the classroom.

Dr. Welch draws on her decades of experience in homes, schools, and clinical settings to explain why children act out—not as willful defiance, but often as communication of unmet needs, anxiety, or trauma. She shares practical strategies from her book How Can I Help? to help educators shift their mindset, reframe behaviors, and build stronger relationships with children and families.

Key takeaways include:

✅ Viewing behavior through biological, environmental, and relational lenses
✅ Using a “trauma-first” approach when assessing challenging behaviors
✅ Recognizing how anxiety may appear as inattention or hyperactivity
✅ Practicing self-care through small, daily micro-strategies to prevent burnout
✅ Building positive, strengths-based relationships with families to better support children

This episode is a must-listen for early childhood educators, caregivers, and anyone seeking compassionate, research-backed strategies for working with young children.

Find Dr. Welch’s books at GryphonHouse.com.

In this powerful episode, Dr. Barbara Sorrels, renowned early childhood expert and author of Reaching and Teaching Children Exposed to Trauma and Trauma-Sensitive Care for Infants, Toddlers, and Two-Year-Olds, joins us to explore what it truly means to care for young children impacted by trauma.

Dr. Sorrels shares heartfelt stories and actionable strategies from her decades of experience working with children, families, and educators. From recognizing the subtle signs of trauma in infants to creating responsive, healing environments, this conversation is filled with wisdom and practical tools every early childhood professional can use.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• What trauma-sensitive care looks like in infant-toddler classrooms
• How even medical trauma at birth can impact brain development
• Subtle signs of trauma in preverbal children
• The power of rhythm, movement, and connection in calming dysregulated children
• How to build trust and rapport with families—even when trauma is present in the home
• Self-care strategies for educators facing compassion fatigue
• Why responsive care is more important than ever—and what systems and policies can better support it