* Stats effective 2023
Join a training to build capacity for a better community.
At Felton Institute, we believe that healing happens in relationships, and that the strongest communities are built on connection. Connect & Thrive (CAT) is not just an early childhood mental health program—it’s a movement, a shift in the way we support our youngest children and the adults who care for them. Launched in 2023, Connect & Thrive redefines early childhood mental health by focusing not on “fixing” children or parents, but on strengthening the relationship between them. Grounded in Early Relational Health, CAT weaves together a network of clinicians, social-emotional learning specialists, and Parent Fellows—caregivers with lived experience—to create sustainable, community-driven change. Unlike traditional behavioral health models that focus solely on clinical interventions, CAT employs a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS), integrating mental health professionals, social-emotional learning specialists, and caregivers with lived experience. A cornerstone of the program is the Parent Fellows initiative, which empowers caregivers who have received services to become leaders in their communities, facilitating peer support and advocacy. This peer-to-professional pipeline creates sustainable, community-driven change by ensuring that those most impacted by services help shape and deliver them.
Grupo fue muy especial para mí como mamá porque fue un espacio donde me sentí cómoda y segura para platicar sobre mi historia sin ser juzgada. Aprendí muchisimo y admiro a las mujeres de este grupo. (This group was very special for me as a mom because it was a space where I felt comfortable and safe to talk about my story without being judged. I learned a lot and I admire the women in this group.)
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