Author: Aaron Leavy

Hidden Brain Podcast Talks about Impact of Early Childhood Experiences

Nobel Laureate James Heckman talks about skills and traits – beyond performance on a test which have been shown to impact success and happiness. Of particular note to those interested in home visiting he talks about how the famous Perry Preschools parental engagement, not just student education.

It wasn’t just that the program operated with the kids. It also visited the parents. It tried to build the parents’ engagement, the parent with the child. And that was really important because a lot of parents then and even now don’t understand how important they are in stimulating, motivating, cultivating the child and getting the child to stay on task and, you know, learn. And so the parents themselves got galvanized and worked with the child. So the child and a visitor – a person from the child care center would go home and work with a parent… Parents themselves were directly encouraged to work with the child. And there was this very, very active engagement on the part of the parents that was – hadn’t been there before.

https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=721733303

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Click here to read a transcript of the podcast

HealthySteps Is “Life Changing,” Mom Says

Sometimes, parenthood is scary


Already a mother of two, Sara experienced complications during her pregnancy with her daughter, Emilee, that led to an early delivery. Her daughter’s lungs were underdeveloped, and she was put on oxygen to help her breathe.


Although Sara was an experienced mom, she hadn’t raised a newborn in several years, and she’d never cared for a medically fragile baby.


“I was afraid,” she remembers.


Thankfully, Sara’s family receives care through the Westside Pediatric and Adolescent Clinic in Denver. Her pediatrician asked if she’d like to enroll in their HealthySteps program, and Sara said yes.


HealthySteps is a unique early childhood program that places a childhood development specialist within a pediatric primary care team. Working together, the doctor and HealthySteps specialist provide integrated care and support parents through the challenging first three years of a child’s life. HealthySteps specialists also connect families to other community resources as needed.


Sara credits her HealthySteps specialist with coaching her through the first anxious months of her daughter’s life and helping her access groceries, clothing and furniture after she moved out of an unhealthy living situation. Today, Sara and her family are thriving, and, at 11 months, Emilee is off oxygen and learning to speak and walk.


“I don’t have the words to explain how grateful I am,” Sara says of HealthySteps. “Just knowing there’s someone there to support you with what you’re going through. It’s life changing.”