THE FLORIDA CENTER FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD AWARDED $7,000 GRANT FROM THE J. MILTON AND NELLIE E. HOFFA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

January 8, 2018 (Sarasota, FL) The Florida Center for Early Childhood, a local nonprofit serving at-risk children and their families in Sarasota, Charlotte, Manatee and DeSoto/Hardee counties, was awarded a $7,000 grant from the J. Milton and Nellie E. Hoffa Memorial Foundation.

The grant will be used to train seven licensed mental health therapists as Circle of Security facilitators. The Circle of Security curriculum is aimed at helping at-risk parents with a history of trauma learn healthy ways of relating and forming attachments to their new baby.

“Parents in our community who need this program often have troubled pasts riddled with abuse, neglect and other forms of trauma,” said Dr. Kristie Skoglund, Vice President of Clinical Services at The Florida Center. “The parents find themselves bringing those experiences into their relationship with their new baby. When the parents grow to understand their child’s behavior as an expression of an unmet need, then the parent has gained access to a valuable tool that can impact their child and future generations.”

The Circle of Security program has been implemented at the agency for many years, but has recently expanded with the Early Childhood Court program serving Sarasota and Manatee counties. The Early Childhood Court follows the lead of the national ZERO TO THREE Safe Baby Court Team and requires participation in The Circle of Security program, increasing the demand for trained professionals in the community.