Build a Caring Community with Moments of Meaning During Challenging Times in Your Program by Ruth Anne Hammond. M.A.

These are both interesting and challenging times for early care and education. As early childhood professionals, we are holders and molders of the future. The rewards in this field are endless—but so are the challenges. Many aspects of modern life make it increasingly difficult for infants and young children to receive the targeted, individualized, and compassionate care they need to develop into secure, emotionally sturdy, and competent human beings.

None of us is immune to the stressors of safety net uncertainty and potential funding cuts to ECE supports. Families—children’s “first responders”—are also facing anxiety fueled by job insecurity, shifts in access to college loans, and the effects of climate change.

Join author, RIE® Associate, and master consultant Ruth Anne Hammond, M.A., to connect with your peers and create a caring community that surrounds children with growth-promoting experiences every day.

Recognizing that we may be embedded in structures and systems we cannot control makes it all the more important to optimize the moments we can influence. A conscious practice of centering—even five minutes of slow breathing before work—can shift the emotional climate we bring to our daily interactions. Quietly observing children at play can further cultivate the calm presence they need from us.

Let’s come together to explore sustainable ways of building a multi-faceted community—one that nurtures the competence, empathy, and perseverance children will need to shape their own futures and, one day, care for their own children with grace and confidence.

In this session, Ruth Anne will guide you to:

• Identify “moments of meeting” with co-workers, parents, and children that build a strong sense of community—and foster resilience in children.

• Increase practical strategies for inner centering to maintain mindful awareness throughout the day.

• Gain perspective, as an advocate for children, on how to maintain hope and a sense of agency in uncertain times.