Lourie Center Annual Report (2021)

Dear Lourie Center family, partners and friends,

All good greetings! I hope this message nds you and your family well. The past two years living with COVID have felt like a lifetime. At Adventist HealthCare’s The Lourie Center for Children’s Social & Emotional Wellness, our team is keenly aware of what two years means in the life of a young child, especially when facing adversity.

As you will see in the following stories, we have only grown in our creativity, vision and commitment to our mission of improving the lives of children and families. While COVID-19 has certainly overwhelmed and stressed our families and our team, the stor y of the center is not one of stress, but rather a tale of the amazing resilience of our children. As you scroll through this report, you will read an inspiring story about coming closer together through direct service, research and training, of growing through grief and pain and connecting through isolation. These stories show one family growing together -- all of us uplifting one another.

An abundance of thanks to our supporters and donors who have risen above the tide of great need to help sustain the center’s work by giving nancial support and prayers so generously. Special gratitude to Paula Widerlite and our new Champions for Children women leaders who have taken center stage to help increase awareness of the early childhood mental health crisis and attract funding and resources to energize the Lourie Center onward. As can often be heard around the Lourie Center hallways and virtual sessions, the rst years of a child’s life last forever. Thank you for ensuring that what stands out most in 2020 and 2021 are the healing experiences of connection with nurturing, emotionally attuned relationships that lead to lifetime health and happiness – one child, one parent, one professional at a time.

With great gratitude for the onward journey, together,

Jimmy Venza, PhD Licensed Psychologist Executive Director

PR O G R A M S

Head Star t Program

Federally funded program for early intervention with at-risk children 0–5 and pregnant mothers. The Lourie Center’s program served more than 512 children and families in 2020 and 443 in 2021.

Parent Child Clinical Ser vices Program

Clinic served 296 children and their families in 2020 and 312 in 2021 in individual, parent-child and group therapy.

Therapeutic Nurser y Program

Specialized preschool program — the only one of its kind in Maryland — served 20 children and their families from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in 2020 and 21 in 2021.

The Lourie Center School

Elementary school served 53 students in 2020 and 33 in 2021. The program provides academic instruction, integrated mental health care, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy.

Par tnership with Montgomer y County Infants and Toddlers Program (MCITP)

The Lourie Center partners with the MCITP, which served 4,899 children from birth to age 4 and their families in 2020 and 4,004 in 2021. MCITP o ers early intervention services to assist families with supporting their children’s developmental and special needs.

University A liations

The Lourie Center trains social work, education, and psychology graduate interns and externs from local and national universities such as:

• Colby College

• College of William and Mary

• Georgetown University

• George Washington University

• University of Maryland

• University of Notre Dame (IN)

• Smith College (MA)

B O A R D OF D I R E C T OR S

Jimmy

Venza, PhD Secretary

Executive Director, The Lourie Center for Children’s Social & Emotional Wellness

Marcel Wright

Chair

Vice President, Adventist HealthCare Behavioral Health Service Line

Todd Cohen

Senior Director Operations and Client Management AtSite Solutions, Inc.

Edward Feinberg, PhD

Retired Coordinator of Birth to Five Services/Division of Special Education Anne Arundel County Public Schools

Carol W. Garvey, MD

Vice President for Health Policy Garvey Associates, Inc.

Brenda Jones Harden, PhD

Professor, Institute for Child Study, HDQM Director, Prevention and Early Adversity Research Laboratory, University of Maryland

Josh Jacobs

Founder and Managing Director Jacobs Health Consulting

Mike Lukens

Treasurer

Vice President and Chief Financial O cer, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center

Lisa J. Stark

Retired Attorney, Department of Justice

Benjamin S. Vaughan Senior Partner

Armstrong, Donohue, Ceppos, Vaughn & Rhoades

Robert C. Wehner Jr.

Senior Vice President M&T Bank

Gwendolyn Mason

Retired Chief, Division of Special Education & Student Services

Dan Cochran

Board Chair President, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center

Todd Cohen

Senior Director Operations and Client Management AtSite Solutions, Inc.

Brenda Jones Harden, PhD

Professor, Institute for Child Study, HDQM Director, Prevention and Early Adversity Research Laboratory, University of Maryland

Josh Jacobs

Founder and Managing Director Jacobs Health Consulting

Gwendolyn Mason

Associate Superintendent, Acting O ce of Special Education Montgomery County Public Schools

Robert C. Wehner Jr. Senior Vice President M&T Bank

Katya Lienard

Parent, Volunteer

E XE C UTI VE L E A DE R S H I P

Jimmy Venza, PhD Executive Director

Jill Brown, LCSW-C Director, Parent-Child Clinical Services Program

Angela Card Director, Head Start Program

2020 2021

Jimmy Venza, PhD Executive Director

Jill Brown, LCSW-C Director, Parent-Child Clinical Services Program

Angela Card Director, Head Start Program

James Cowan Director, The Lourie Center School

Anna Curtin, PhD Director, Therapeutic Nursery Program

Alan Ezagui Director of Development

James F. Herrera, MD Medical Director

Melanie Jewell Administrative Director

Jane Mitchell

Early Intervention

James Cowan Director, The Lourie Center School

Anna Curtin, PhD Director, Therapeutic Nursery Program

Alan Ezagui Director of Philanthropy

James F. Herrera, MD Medical Director

Amy Messer Operations Director

Jane Mitchell Early Intervention

2020 SUPPORTERS

$500,000 +

The Bainum Family Foundation

$100,000–$250,000

Anonymous

Alexander & Margaret Stewart Trust

Luis G. Del Valle Torres

$50,000–$99,999

Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Lucy S. Keker Trust

J. H. Walker Legacy Foundation

$25,000–$49,999

CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield

CRE Connect Summit

$10,000–$24,999

Terry & Marijane Forde

Walter A. Bloedorn Foundation

Robert & Arlene Kogod

Robert & Arlene Kogod Family Foundation

M&T Charitable Foundation

Noni Educational Solutions

Kaiser Permanente Foundation

Drs. Jimmy & Brigit Venza

$5,000–$9,999

Anonymous Lerch, Early & Brewer, Chtd.

$2,500–$4,999

Michael & Amy Aquilino AtSite, Inc.

Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP

Todd M. Cohen (donated birthday on Facebook)

Forrester Construction Company

Je & Jill Pargament

King & Spalding

Ingrid Saavedra

$1,000–$2,499

Celeste S. Basier

Thomas A. Bensinger, MD

Shirley Brandman & Howard M.Shapiro Family Fund

Tom & Chris Burlin

Todd M. Cohen & Rabbi Baht Y. Weiss

Helen Lee Dellheim, Esq. Kenneth B. DeStefano District of Columbia Association for Special Education Casey Dyson

Alan Mark Ezagui, in memory of Mark Nathan Ezagui Eve & David Farber

Carol Wilson Garvey, MD Andrew J. Glass

The Howes Family S.Kann Sons Co. Foundation, Inc.

Betty Ann & Gilbert Kaplan

Stuart A. Kogod & Denise Garone

Wendy Kisch & Mark Gourley

The Jill McGovern & Steven Muller Fund

Minal D. & Dhirenda Morarji, in memory of Mrs. Rukmini Shivjiani National Capital Optimist Club

Tracye A. Polson, PhD

Lynda Marie Pontecorvo

Alison & James Pearce

Kacy Pritchard Rollins

Bruce L. Rosenberg, in honor of Marjorie Sonnenfeldt

Rosenberg Hecht Philanthropic Fund, in honor of Marjorie Sonnenfeldt

Larry Rosenblum & Nancy Brooks

Paul & Tammy Schulman

The Walker Group

United Way of Central Maryland Win Commercial Group H.Marcel Wright

$500–$999

Patricia Alfaro

George Bregman

Sheila Shanahan Cashman

Kenneth B. DeStefano

Zemina Divecha

Lisa M. Dwyer

Thomas Evehe

Beryl & Edward Feinberg Charitable Fund

Matthew P. Greif

Dr. Peter C. Greif

Mark E. Gri n Beth & Kim Gri th

Hoover Family Fund

Alan & Agnes Leshner

Amanda N. Knott

Marta Leigh

Vimala Lingam Ann P. Potteiger

Donna J. Scott

Tina Sheesley

Larry Rosenblum & Nancy Brooks, in memory of Dr. Jim Stallings; in memory of Terry Burns

Lisa Stark & Harvey Rubenstein, MD

Marjorie Sonnenfeldt

Sami & Annie Totah

Family Foundation

United Jewish Endowment Fund

Paula & Larr y Widerlite

$100–$499

Robert Allong

AmazonSmile Foundation Anonymous (5)

Misty Allen

Constance Battle, MD

A.Barry & Paula Belman

Julie Bell

Abigail Bensimhon

Linda B. Berman & Arthur Parsons

Les Bland

Amanda Bower

Karen Bowne

Michelle & Greg Brennan

Jill Brown Mark S. Brown Sherrie Burkholder

Denise M. Chandler

Lydia Cheruvathoor Curbside Kitchen

Denis F. Cio Benedict C. Clark

Anna Curtin, PhD

Eursala David-Sherman

Emmanuel M. Dugger

Andrew Dziuban

Naomi & Gary Felsenfeld

Arlene & Harold Finger Bette Flentje Kelli A. Forbes

Je rey & Diane Frank

Esta K. Friedman Len Friedman

Kimberly A. Gaines

Karen & Robert Garman Jill Ginsburg

Susan L. Glover

Helen & Eugene Granof Julien A. & Rebecca B. Graystone

Lucas Han Jennifer & Craig Harrison

Louisa S. Hollman

Susan & Dr. Thomas Hougen Ronald & Nancy Isaacson

Melanie Jewell

Brendan Johnson

Karp Wessel Family Fund

Melanie Katsur

Evelyn Kays-Battle

Jaqie & Matthew Keady

Diane D. King-Shaw, PhD, in honor of 20 years of service, Dona & Eileen Daniel L. Korengold & Martha L. Dippell Delegate Ben Kramer

Isiah Leggett

Michele Lester Elizabeth F. Lindquist

Florence Lourie

Ben & Christine Lourie, in memory of Reginald S. Lourie

The McBride Family

Lisa J. McCurry, MD

Mark Mohan & Gina Capra

Andrew Nicklas

Linn W. Ong

Mark D. Polston

Susan H. Press

Joann Raysor

Kelly Reeves

Colleen Robine

Samuel I. Rosenberg

Jonathan S. Sachs

Soltesz, Inc., in honor of AHC - Rockville sta

Judy & Tim Sorensen

Ashley E. Sowers

Joshua D. Sparrow, MD

The Benevity Community Impact Fund

Ann Toupin

Robert C. & Molly Wehner

Wiley Rein LLP

Barbara Witt

Charles & Nancy Wolfson Elena B. Wright-Aguilar

$1–$99

Deanna L. Aghguiguian Diane Castiglione

George & Lenore Cohen

Kristen Capps

Michelle L. Cousineau

Michael W. Datch

Ada Delgado

William & Patricia Driscoll

Kelly Gordon

Thomas Grant

Mark Harmer

Kim Harris

Barry & Ilene Heller

Carolyn Horton

Adrian Humphreys

Tanya Illa

Daniel & Marie McNamara

Amanda P. Morgan

Alba A. Munoz

Theresa Pittman

Delores Reha

Margaret F. Schweitzer

Matthew Serre

Judith Sills

Andrew Stolusky

Tamieka & Donte Thomasson

Ever y e or t was made to list all donors accurately We apologize in advance if we missed including your name or what we have listed is inaccurate. Please contac t Alan Ezagui at AEzagui@LourieCenter.org with any questions Thank you

Gratitude Report

2021 SUPPORTERS

$500,000 +

Berke Family Giving Fund

$250,000–$499,999

The Bainum Family Foundation

$50,000–$99,999

Anonymous Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Deloitte Financial Advisory Alexander & Margaret Steward Trust

J. H. Walker Legacy Foundation

$25,000–$49,999

Michael & Amy Aquilino

$10,000–$24,999

Walter A. Bloedorn Foundation

Cigna Civic A airs

Columbia Union Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, in memory of Carol Wright

Healthcare Initiative Foundation

M&T Charitable Foundation Drs. Jimmy & Brigit Venza Paula & Larry Widerlite Win Commercial Group

$5,000–$9,999

Wendy Kisch & Mark Gourley, in memory of Mark Gourley Robert & Arlene Kogod Foundation

$2,500–$4,999

Rebecca B. Bennett Hillary & Tom Baltimore, in honor of Paula Widerlite

Diana Eisenstat

Forrester Construction Company

$1,000–$2,499

Bonnie C. Arze Celeste S. Basier Balfour Beatty Construction Jackie T. Burman

Lynne Carbone

Kendall Ciesemier Casey Dyson

Alan Mark Ezagui, in memory of Mark Nathan Ezagui Andrew J. Glass

The Howes Family S.Kann Sons Co. Foundation, Inc.

Robert & Arlene Kogod, in memory of Diane & Norman Bernstein Wendy Kisch & Mark Gourley National Capital Optimist Club Je & Jill Pargament Michelle Parker & Arthur Axelson

Alison & James Pearce

Larry Rosenblum & Nancy Brooks, in memory of Dr. Allison Bryant; in memory of Joanne Cohen; in memory of Gordon Liddy

The/Benevity Community Impact Fund H.Marcel Wright

$500–$999

Anonymous (2)

Dr. Clement & Sandra Alpert

George Bregman

Denis Cio & Ellen Hornstein

Benedict Clark Maureen Dymond

Joanie & Roger Golden

The Greif Family Mark E. Gri n Beth & Kim Gri th Christina Hill

Betty Ann & Gilbert Kaplan

Karp Wessel Family Fund

Cheryl Kisunzu

Vimala Lingam

Stephanie McMillan, in memory of Carol Wright Lynda Pontecorvo Marjorie Sonnenfeldt

St. Mary’s Catholic Church

United Way of Central Maryland United Jewish Endowment Fund

Robert & Molly Wehner

$100–$499

Evelyn Adams, in memory of Carol Wright Anonymous (7)

Evelyn Kays-Battle, in memory of Diane Bernstein

Abigail Bensimhon Rory Berke

Linda Berman & Arthur Parsons Howard Biel

Les & Jessica Bland Amanda Bower

Drs. Paul Lenore Brantley, in memory of Carol Wright Michelle & Greg Brennan

Jill Brown

Tony & Peggy Bur, in memory of Carol Wright Maura Callanan

Maria Dufau Catt

Denise M. Chandler

Lydia Cheruvathoor

The Clark Construction Group, LLC

Anna C. Eursala David-Sherman

Pamela De Coteau

Zemina Divecha

Andrew Dziuban

Fallsmead PTA Community Service Committee

Kelli Anne Forbes

Je rey & Diana Frank Kimberly Gaines

Karen & Robert Garman

Michael & Ellen Gold

Helene & Eugene Granof Drs. Carol & Thomas Garvey

Michael Gold, in memory of Jennifer Denise Lourie Good Samaritan Club, in memory of Carol Wright Helene & Gene Granof David Gustafson

Stacy Haller Chong Han

Jennifer & Craig Harrison Susan & Thomas Hougen

David Howard, in memory of Carol Wright Brendan Johnson Malini Joel Madeleine G. Kalb

Melanie Katsur

Evelyn Kays-Battle, in memory of Diane Bernstein

Jaqie & Mathew Keady

Louis Y. Korman, M.D. & Iris Korman Lorraine Lester Florence Lourie

Judith Mandola & Family Elaine Mayhall Rose Murage

Jill E. McGovern, PhD

Mark Mohan & Gina Capra

James M. & Virginia W. Newmyer Family Fund, in honor of Marjorie H. Sonnenfeldt Andrew Nicklas

Jocelyn Nieva

Joann Raysor Kacy Rollins

Jonathan Sachs

John & Sue Sackett Alexis Sandler Eric Schultz

Tina Sheesley Eursula David-Sherman Donna Scott

Marjorie Sonnenfeldt

Laura Thibodeaux, in memory of Carol Wright Linda Thompson, in memor y of Carol Wright

Sami & Annie Totah Family Foundation

Lisa Weller Shannon Welch Anita Wharton

James & Jacqueline Winston, in memory of Carol Wright Barbara Witt Jennifer Woods Elena Wright-Aguilar

$1–$99

Deanna Aghguiguian Ulanda Alexander

Anonymous (3) Abena-Yolanda Baskin, in memory of Carol Wright Janet Berman

Olivia Burton, in memory of Carol Wright Diane Castiglione

Jane Cermak-Faver

Denise Coleman, in memory of Carol Wright

Cristine Coney

Michael Datch

Martha & C.J. Delaney

Shirley Fordham, in memory of Carol Wright

Linda Gerson PhD

Jay Goldman

Vera Grace

Ilene Heller

Carolyn Horton Wanda Jenkins Andrew Marsh Heather Mathews Stephanie Kinney

Carlyle & Sandra Maupin, in memory of Carol Wright

Amanda Morgan

Alba Munoz

Lucia Pugnali Colleen Robine

Lauren Roche Matthew Serre Denise Shipper

Adele Silver

Janene Taylor, in memory of Carol Wright Tamieka & Donte Thomasson

Gail Turzillo

Lynn Vayer, in memory of Ina Lois Adelson Sondra Weiss

Ever y e or t was made to list all donors accurately We apologize in advance if we missed including your name or what we have listed is inaccurate. Please contac t Alan Ezagui at AEzagui@LourieCenter.org with any questions Thank you

INNOVATION SERVICES

The Lourie Center provides critical educational and therapeutic services to more than 4,000 children birth to age 12 and their families across the greater Washington, D.C., region.

Lourie Center Presents at Promise Venture Studio’s “Show+Tell” Event

The Lourie Center was a featured venture in “Show+Tell: Early Childhood Development Innovations with Promise” on October 20, 2020.

Promise Venture Studio’s “Show+Tell” series is a rst of its kind series of online, interactive events showcasing the most promising innovations in early childhood development with the potential for scaled impact for children facing the greatest adversities.

The Promise Venture Studio is a nonpro t organization that supports, connects and helps entrepreneurs focused on early childhood development ourish in their endeavors.

The Lourie Center’s former Board Chair, Marcel Wright, presented it’s venture, “TraumaInformed Care & Preschool ECHO,” in front of venture philanthropists, family wealth o ces, investors, and social impact groups. The team is seeking innovative models to scale an early childhood trauma-informed care solution.

The ECHO model will allow the Lourie Center to democratize more than 15 years of evidencebased research from our Therapeutic Preschool

Program. The goal of the model is for children to achieve kindergarten readiness.

You can learn more about the Center’s venture pro le, “Trauma-Informed Care & Preschool ECHO,” and watch the video presentation at TinyURL.com/LCEcho.

Why You are Heroes: Liliana’s Stor y

On May 6, 2021, which was National Children’s Mental Health Action Day, the Lourie Center Champions for Children hosted a virtual event, “Our Kids Are Not Okay: America’s Children’s Trauma Crisis.”

Liliana shared her story of her son Liam with us. In 2018, Liliana and her husband were seeking answers for their then-2-year-old son, Liam. While Liam was a smart, silly, loving, caring and very curious little boy, he was having di culty coping with day-to-day transitions. He was experiencing speech delays and was challenged in his daily communications with his family and others.

Liam needed help, so did Liliana and her husband.

By age 4, Liam started attending the Lourie Center’s Therapeutic Preschool Program (TNP). TNP is a comprehensive early childhood intervention program that provides education and clinical services for children ages 3 to 5.

The teachers and clinical sta provided Liam with the nurturing he needed to help him understand his emotions and how to socialize with others; the attention he needed to feel safe and secure with his emotions; and the education he needed to prepare him for kindergarten.

The TNP sta provided the same support for Liliana and her husband.

Liliana went on to share that, following more than a year of this critical and personalized support, Liam graduated from the TNP, and successfully transitioned to public school kindergarten. This is such a critical milestone for a child like Liam, as we know from science and research that kindergarten readiness is the best predictor of a child’s life outcomes.

At the conclusion of Liliana’s prepared remarks, she shared this very personal story with us:

“Trauma is generational. It is passed on from generation to generation and I came to the Lourie Center to break that generational trauma. I came to the Lourie Center to get more of the skills, the tools, and learn more how to communicate with my child e ectively which I feel like I have. As everyone was speaking, it all could resonate for me. I was a child who went through a lot. I have lived in homeless shelters everywhere from place to place. And I don’t want my children to carry remotely an ounce of that generational trauma that I could have passed on to them if I didn’t seek the help and if I didn’t go out to the Lourie Center. So, I thank the Lourie Center, literally, for breaking this curse of generational trauma that has been in my family for so many years.”

Thank you, Liliana. You blessed us with your personal, truly remarkable, and inspiring story of Liam and your family.

Thank you to our donors. It is because of you and your big hearts, that you help to heal the hearts of our little ones!

TRAINING, EDUCATION AND CONSULTATION

We provide evidenced-based training, education and consultation in infant and early childhood development and mental health for parents, providers and policymakers.

The Lourie Center Participates in Teachstone Webinar on Child Trauma

The Lourie Center partnered with Teachstone, one of the leading education companies in the country that provides expertise in the evaluation of classrooms and teacher professional development. Amber Ricks, who has a doctorate in psychology and is the Clinical Training Manager and FASTT Program Director and Jimmy Venza, PhD, Executive Director of the Lourie Center, were featured speakers for a webinar on early childhood trauma. They helped teachers and childcare staff prepare for returning to school in the face of COVID-19, racism, and social injustice and child trauma, which has already been a public health crisis for the past few years.

More than 1,800 people from inside and outside the U.S. attended the hourlong training, which you can view at TinyURL.com/LCTeachstone.

This webinar is part of a professional development program that launched in August. Diane King-Shaw, PhD, Clinical Director for the Lourie Center School, and Dr. Venza have presented at Teachstone’s national conference the last few years, and this is the next step in a developing partnership.

Teaching Strategies partners with the Lourie Center for Launch of First of its Kind Coaching App to Support Teachers and Children Impacted by Trauma

In 2021, the Lourie Center played a role in a newly launched solution called noniTM for Teachers. The groundbreaking app-based resource is designed to support preschool to fth-grade teachers working with children who have been impacted by trauma.

The app was created by Noni Educational Solutions, a trauma-focused edtech startup, and is now part of the products of Teaching Strategies, the country’s leading developer of early childhood curriculum assessment, professional learning and family engagement solutions.

“Even prior to the pandemic, more than twothirds of children had experienced at least one traumatic event by the age of 16,” said Dr. Venza. “In the aftermath of these past two years and the resulting stresses placed on families and children, that statistic is only likely to worsen.”

“Now more than ever, teachers need and deserve our support for trauma-informed instruction and coaching,” said Teaching Strategies CEO John Olsen. “We’re excited to welcome Noni Educational Solutions to the Teaching Strategies family. noni™ for Teachers lls a gap not met by any other solution in the market and gives educators the tools and support they need to care for children impacted by trauma and help them regulate behavior so they can learn.”

noni™ for Teachers is an app-based digital coach and collection of classroom teaching resources that guide teachers through providing trauma-informed instruction. The app uses real-time responsive technology, serving up immediate guidance based on teacher input and giving teachers the ability to track and even predict child behaviors that stem from exposure to toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences.

“We know from decades of research on working with young children who have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences

that the teacher-child relationship can actually act as a bu er against the negative impact of trauma,” said Kai-leé Berke, co-founder of Noni Educational Solutions and an author of many of Teaching Strategies’ curriculum and assessment resources. “Having personally experienced traumatic circumstances as a young child, and eventually teaching and caring for young children who had also had exposure to adverse childhood experiences, I know rsthand what teachers face as students return to the traditional classroom. Addressing the lifelong mental and physical challenges that can result from trauma is essential to a student’s success, and we must ensure our educators have the support to do so.”

The app also provides intervention and prevention plans, whole-class guidance, support for partnering with families of trauma-impacted children, built-in teacher professional development around trauma and adverse childhood experiences and resources that address teachers’ own self-care and mental wellness.

RESEARCH

The Lourie Center strives to be a national leader in research to advance science and treatment in infant and early childhood mental health and education, with a particular focus on how trauma impacts learning and development.

Circle of Security Classroom: A New Research Par tnership

What is Circle of Security Classroom?

It is an attachment-focused teacher and child wellness program that helps teachers provide the best emotional support to students –particularly students who might be presenting histories of traumatic experiences. Circle of Security is based on decades of research on attachment theory, which shows that a secure relationship with a caring adult contributes to positive outcomes for children and bu ers them from the e ects of trauma.

The Lourie Center has partnered with Dr. Jude Cassidy at the University of Maryland, and Circle of Security International to pilot an initial research study of the program’s e ectiveness within the Head Start and early childhood programs. This initial pilot work holds the promise of national scaling for the bene t of future generations of teachers and students. To facilitate this, the Lourie Center assembled a team of facilitators to support the implementation of Circle of Security in its Head Start classrooms. Four clinicians were trained in this new application of the Circle of Security in preschool classrooms.

The pilot research continued in 2020 and was led by facilitators who introduce a group of 10 Head Start teachers to an eight-week Circle of Security-Classroom (COS-C) intervention to the concepts of understanding and meeting the emotional needs of young children.

The Lourie Center’s COS-C trained facilitators are Adrian Couto Silva, Marianela Rodousakis, Stephanie Nti and Renee Stewar

. In 2021, 14 additional Head Start teachers and 23 Prince George’s County Public School teachers participated despite being in the middle of COVID-19. The Lourie Center facilitators delivered COS-C virtually to teachers during this most difficult time in school. Their clinical expertise greatly helped teachers care for themselves and cope with one of the most stressful times in school history – and also to effectively connect with students to build those strong relationships, despite the disruptions, to help their students learn and grow. The LC facilitators also received ongoing supervision with Dr. Glen Cooper, one of the original creators of COS-Classroom, to maximize the program’s impact for teachers and build their capacities to be specialized COS-C Coaches. The initial teacher group data looks promising with teachers expressing gratitude for the support through all the challenges. We look forward to expanding this work across the State and beyond.

The Lourie Center Research Featured in EdSurge

Isabelle Hau, former Partner at Imaginable Futures – a venture of The Omidyar Group, who is authoring a book on the future of learning, contributed an op-ed in EdSurge titled, “Education Has Been Hammering the Wrong Nail. We Have to Focus on the Early Years.”

Isabelle opened the article by telling the story of Maria* and her son, Lucas* and the positive impact attending the Lourie Center’s Therapeutic Nursery Program (TNP) had on their family.

As Ms. Hau stated, the TNP is inspired by attachment theory to support children and their families who are dealing with complex trauma, adversity and signi cant social and emotional needs. All children referred to the TNP have been expelled or suspended from preschool programs, often multiple times.

Lucas graduated from the TNP and transitioned to a traditional kindergarten setting. In research published and presented two years ago, nearly 80 percent of children in the TNP do go on to attend traditional kindergarten settings and improve on their social, emotional and academic gains through second grade.

His experience demonstrated how specialized supports anchored in attachment can make a positive di erence in a child and family’s life. Isabelle elaborated with this important message for all of us – parents, educators, clinicians, society. “At a time of deep disconnections, we need to refocus learning on human connections starting in the early years. Our human brains are social, and relationships are the oxygen of (child) development.”

* Name has been changed to protect the con dentiality of mother and child.

The Lourie Center Awarded SAMHSA National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCSTSN) Grant

In July 2021, the Lourie Center was awarded a ve-year, $2 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) for our Family Attachment-focused Services,

Treatment, & Training project (FASTT). The project year started Sept. 30, 2021.

We are now o cially part of the prestigious National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN).

How important is this for the Lourie Center?

A statement from the NCTSN website:

“The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) was created by Congress in 2000 as part of the Children’s Health Act to raise the standard of care and increase access to services for children and families who experience or witness traumatic events. This unique network of frontline providers, family members, researchers, and national partners is committed to changing the course of children’s lives by improving their care and moving scienti c gains quickly into practice across the U.S.”

How will FASTT impact children and families:

FASTT is an attachment-centered, traumainformed, equity-advancing, and team-based care coordination and workforce development model. The Lourie Center FASTT team works to support children from birth to age 12 with signi cant mental health complications. They also aim to support their caregivers. FASTT has a partnership with the Lourie Center and the Parent, Infant, Early Childhood (PIEC) Program of The Institute for Innovation and Implementation at the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

FASTT anticipates serving 50 infants and young children, 75 parents and caregivers, and 50 professionals in year one. It will serve 100 infants and young children, 150 parents and caregivers, and 100 professionals annually for a total of 450 infants and young children, over 675 parents and caregivers and 500 professionals for the projects ve-year lifetime, from 2021 – 2026.

IN THE COMMUNITY

The Lourie Center Champions for Children

In April 2021, the Lourie Center established Champions for Children.

Champions for Children is a network of women who inspire, in uence and leverage experience and relationships to move from awareness to action, addressing our national children’s mental health crisis to help raise funds and support the Lourie Center as the model of early intervention success.

Young Professionals Champions for Children

A Young Professional Champions for Children was established. The goal is to develop a group of champions in the young professional demographic to begin to build life-long relationships and support the Lourie Center’s work and its impact on children and families.

If you would like to learn more about Lourie Center Champions for Children and membership, please visit LourieCenter.org

The Lourie Center Champions for Children is a movement of women leaders, poised to help end this crisis.This was the catalyst for women coming together:

Champions for Children 2021 Impac t

In 2021, Lourie Center Champions for Children raised $230,000. These funds helped to:

• Assist in professional development and compensation support for teachers and professional sta

• Take 30 children and families o the waitlist to receive services from the Lourie Center Parent-Child Clinic.

Honoring You: Celebrating The Lourie Center ’s Expansion

On Jan. 21, 2021, we celebrated, virtually, the Lourie Center’s expansion and ribbon-cutting.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Venza, shared this: “More than two years ago, we shared a vision with you. A vision to expand services and access to care because even then, childhood trauma was a crisis. Today, we celebrate with you the achievement of that vision together.”

You, our supporters, are Heroes for Children.

The Jan. 21 dedication culminated a two-year, $2.2 million vision. The dedication honored more than 60 Heroes for Children – individuals,

foundations, companies – who made private philanthropic gifts to reach our goal for the expansion.

You believed in us, but most importantly, you believed your gifts would make a di erence for the children and families the Lourie Center serves, the children and families experiencing the highest levels of trauma and adversity.

At the vir tual celebration, we shared this Mister Rogers quote, as to why you are a Hero for Children Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me.

Create Brighter Futures

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