Trauma-Informed Care for Early Childhood Educators

Trauma-Informed Care for Early Childhood Educators: Setting the Foundation for Trauma-Sensitive Support

Early childhood educators are often the first adults outside the home to notice when a child is struggling. This course equips you with the knowledge, language, and practical tools to understand what trauma is, recognize how it shows up in young children, and respond in ways that support healing rather than cause harm.

Grounded in the latest research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), brain science, and SAMHSA's six principles of trauma-informed care, this course bridges the gap between what the science tells us and what actually happens in your classroom every day. You don't need a therapy degree to make a profound difference in a child's life you need to be trauma-informed.

Across nine lessons, you will explore how trauma affects the developing brain, body, and behavior of children from birth through age five. You will learn to recognize the emotional, behavioral, physical, and cognitive signs of trauma, understand the role of epigenetics and intergenerational trauma, and discover why your calm, consistent presence is one of the most powerful healing tools available to a young child.

This course also addresses what it costs educators to do this work. You will leave with a personal self-care plan, strategies to prevent secondary traumatic stress and burnout, and a concrete action plan for implementing trauma-informed practices in your setting starting this week.

This course is designed for: preschool teachers, childcare providers, Head Start and Early Head Start staff, family childcare providers, instructional aides, and anyone working directly with children ages 0–5 in any early childhood setting.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Define trauma and explain its physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive impact on young children
• Understand the science of ACEs and their lifelong health implications
• Apply the six SAMHSA principles of trauma-informed care in your daily practice
• Recognize signs of trauma and respond without causing re-traumatization
• Teach children practical coping and self-regulation strategies
• Build and sustain a personal self-care practice that keeps you effective in this work