ABSTRACT
The introduction opens by stating the urgent need to create early childhood programs and services that include trauma-sensitive family engagement practices. The authors begin by defining family engagement, highlighting the research evidence to support its importance and explaining why they choose to use the phrase “trauma responsive” instead of “trauma informed” throughout the book. The authors discuss why it is essential to balance any discussion of trauma and trauma-responsive practice with a focus on coping, resilience and healing. Drawing on Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child description of resilience as a balance scale in the lives of adults and children, they discuss the range of parents’ and families’ negative experiences that tip the scale toward unhealthy levels of stress, trauma and harm and the positive experiences and resilience factors that tip the scale toward coping, health, wellness and positive outcomes. The introduction ends with a description of the intended audience and unique contributions of this book for early childhood professionals.
