The stories in this issue bring to life the intimate, complex, and delicate work of helping very young children and families in times of crisis and growth.
Stories have the ability to help us make meaning out of our experiences, inspire us to do our best, and allow us to learn from our mistakes. The stories in this issue bring to life the intimate, complex, and delicate work of helping very young children and families in times of crisis and growth. The authors share the real life challenges of putting theory, research, and training into practice, and the rich rewards of making a difference in the lives of very young children and their families. The articles in this issue span a wide range of problems: from anxiety, grief, and developmental delay, to the array of neurodevelopmental concerns stemming from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. The authors also share their experiences related to working with issues of family violence, poverty, and mental illness. The stories reveal the complexity of meeting the needs of infants and toddlers, and of helping parents and caregivers provide optimal support for their children at the same time they are facing their own challenges. A common theme that emerges in most of these cases is that it takes a coordinated team of multidisciplinary professionals to achieve the best outcomes for children and families, particularly when family circumstances are complicated. While the authors illustrate different approaches in their clinical work, they all remind us that the underlying foundation for successful intervention lies in the quality of the relationships among those involved.
