Early Childhood Chats

Children with big emotions can be both inspiring and challenging to support. In this episode of Early Childhood Chats, clinical social worker and author Claire Lerner shares practical strategies for understanding and guiding kids with strong reactions and sensitivities. Building on insights from her bestselling book Why Is My Child in Charge? and her new release Big Reactors: Practical Strategies for Parenting Highly Sensitive Children, Claire offers real-world guidance grounded in decades of experience.Learn how to recognize the root causes of behavior, set loving limits, and support highly sensitive children through transitions, big feelings, and everyday challenges. This conversation is filled with actionable insights for anyone working with or caring for children.👉 Subscribe for more parenting insights and early childhood strategies!🌐 Learn more from Claire Lerner:Grab Claire's New Book (Big Reactors: Practical Strategies for Parenting Highly Sensitive Children): https://a.co/d/6AL3zhOWebsite: lernerchilddevelopment.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lernerchilddevelopment/🎥 Watch our previous episode with Claire:Taming Tantrums and Tears: https://youtu.be/qf11T98DUKE?feature=shared----------------------------Early Childhood Chats is hosted by Andrew Roszak - JD, MPA, EMT-PExecutive Director at the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. The Institute for Childhood Preparedness is proud to use its decades of experience to offer comprehensive and expert disaster and emergency preparedness trainings live in-person, via webinar, and on-demand online. // Visit: https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/ to find out more // Schedule your training today https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/trainingFOLLOW UShttps://www.instagram.com/childhoodpreparedness/ https://www.facebook.com/ChildPreparedhttps://twitter.com/ChildPreparedhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-childhood-preparedness© Institute for Childhood Preparedness 2025 all rights reserved

In this new This Week in Early Childhood series, host Andy Roszak recaps the latest news, stories, and lessons for early learning professionals. In this week’s episode, we discuss the new ACF director’s priorities, a devastating daycare fire in Pennsylvania, alarming vehicle crashes into childcare centers, tragic safety incidents, and much more.Stay informed, stay prepared, and join us weekly for your essential early childhood news roundup.📌 Key Topics Covered:🏛️ Federal Leadership: Alex Adams confirmed as the new ACF Director, overseeing Head Start and the Office of Child Care.🏢 Government Shutdown: Impacts on programs awaiting new Notices of Award.🔥 Fire Safety Month Reminder: Fire destroys a Pennsylvania childcare center — why drills and evacuation plans matter.🚗 Storefront Safety: Car crashes into playground in Rhode Island; tragic fatal crash at Canadian daycare sparks legislative discussions.🚐 Transportation Incident: 13 children hospitalized after a childcare van crash in North Carolina.🐶 Supervision Failures: Two-year-old killed by daycare owner’s Rottweilers in Georgia.🔫 Violence Near Childcare: Parent fatally shot during a carjacking near a Louisiana daycare.🌲 Natural Disasters: 47 childcare programs destroyed by California wildfires — what providers are learning from recovery.📢 Mandatory Reporting: Pennsylvania childcare center closed for failure to report abuse — preview of upcoming Early Childhood Chats podcast episode with expert Allan Guttman.📅 Upcoming Event: Head Start East inaugural conference, March 2–5, 2026, in Puerto Rico – early bird pricing available now. Visit headstarteast.org for more! 🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned:Alex Adams confirmed as ACF Director – https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/07/22/idaho-health-and-welfare-director-aims-to-prioritize-early-childhood-learning-foster-care-at-hhs/Pennsylvania childcare fire – https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/westmoreland-county-community-unites-help-rebuild-day-care-destroyed-by-fire/TJPTMFXKFNAUXBLOHARDZUDSQI/Rhode Island playground vehicle crash – https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/west-bay/car-crashes-into-coventry-day-care/ and https://www.abc6.com/fire-chief-12-15-kids-on-coventry-playground-when-car-crashed-through-fence/Canada daycare tragedy –https://petrolialambtonindependent.ca/2025/10/06/concrete-barriers-to-be-installed-at-school-child-cares/North Carolina van crash –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzEzsrqeDJsICP Walkie Talkies - https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/walkietalkies Georgia Rottweiler fatality – https://people.com/boy-mauled-death-dogs-left-him-unattended-daycare-11824647Louisiana carjacking shooting – https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article312353005.htmlLos Angeles wildfires impact on childcare – https://www.laschoolreport.com/months-after-los-angeles-wildfires-child-care-providers-are-still-in-crisis/Scranton program closed for failure to report abuse – https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/2025/10/03/state-closes-daycare-in-scranton-for-alleged-failing-to-report-child-abuse/Head Start East Conference – https://headstarteast.org📚 Takeaways for Early Childhood Leaders:🔥 Revisit fire evacuation routes and drills this month.🚗 Assess your site’s vulnerability to vehicle crashes — simple steps can save lives.📞 Review your emergency communication plan, especially for mass casualty incidents.ICP Walkie talkies - https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/walkietalkies 👁️ Strengthen supervision protocols — even small lapses can have tragic consequences.📜 Review your mandatory reporting policies and training.

Discover the untold stories and strengths of tribal childcare programs across the United States. In this episode of Early Childhood Chats, host Andy Rozak speaks with Jennifer Rackliff, Executive Director of the National Indian Child Care Association (NICCA), about the challenges, opportunities, and innovations shaping Native communities.Learn how tribal childcare blends cultural traditions, sovereignty, and federal funding to build stronger systems for children and families. From policy advocacy in Washington, D.C. to hands-on community care, this conversation sheds light on the complexities of early learning in Native American, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian communities.Whether you’re an educator, policymaker, or parent, this video provides rare insights into the world of Indian childcare, tribal sovereignty, and early childhood education.👉 Don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations on childcare, early learning, and community building!🌐 Learn more about Jennifer and NICCA:Website: https://www.nicca.us/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicca.us/X: https://x.com/nicca_usLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nicca-us/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NICCA.US----------------------------Early Childhood Chats is hosted by Andrew Roszak - JD, MPA, EMT-PFounder and CEO of the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. The Institute for Childhood Preparedness is proud to use its decades of experience to offer comprehensive and expert disaster and emergency preparedness trainings live in-person, via webinar, and on-demand online. // Visit: https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/ to find out more // Schedule your training today https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/trainingFOLLOW UShttps://www.instagram.com/childhoodpreparedness/ https://www.facebook.com/ChildPreparedhttps://twitter.com/ChildPreparedhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-childhood-preparedness© Institute for Childhood Preparedness 2025 all rights reserved

Andy is joined by Dr. Kimberly Honnick of Bo Knowz Learning. Unlock the power of early childhood education in this inspiring conversation about teaching, learning, and social-emotional growth. With over 30 years of experience as a teacher, principal, superintendent, and consultant, Dr. Honnick shares her passion for serving children and families, building meaningful classroom experiences, and creating supportive environments for both students and educators.In this episode, we dive into:Why early childhood education matters more than everCreative ways to make curriculum relevant and engagingThe role of social-emotional learning (SEL) in classrooms and at homeSupporting teacher wellness and family engagementThe story behind Bo Knowz Learning and its mission to empower children, parents, and educatorsWhether you’re a teacher, parent, or education leader, this video offers practical strategies, inspiring stories, and a fresh perspective on helping kids thrive in a changing world.👉 Learn more about Bo Knows Learning: https://www.boknowzlearning.com/👉 Connect with Dr. Kim Hanock on social media: https://youtube.com/@boknowzlearning?feature=sharedhttps://x.com/dochonnickhttps://www.instagram.com/drkimhonnick/----------------------------Childhood Chats is hosted by Andrew Roszak - JD, MPA, EMT-PExecutive Director at the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. The Institute for Childhood Preparedness is proud to use its decades of experience to offer comprehensive and expert disaster and emergency preparedness trainings live in-person, via webinar, and on-demand online. // Visit: https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/ to find out more // Schedule your training today https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/trainingFOLLOW UShttps://www.instagram.com/childhoodpreparedness/ https://www.facebook.com/ChildPreparedhttps://twitter.com/ChildPreparedhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-childhood-preparedness© Institute for Childhood Preparedness 2025 all rights reserved

Today we sat down with the distinguished Dr. James C. Rodríguez, MSW  @JamesRodriguezFFCA  for an insightful and thought-provoking discussion on the critical aspects of early childhood development and education. Find out more about his work at: https://fathersandfamiliescoalition.org/Early Childhood Chats is hosted by Andrew Roszak - JD, MPA, EMT-PExecutive Director at the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. The Institute for Childhood Preparedness is proud to use its decades of experience to offer comprehensive and expert disaster and emergency preparedness trainings live in-person, via webinar, and on-demand online. //Visit: https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/ to find out more // Schedule your training today https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/trainingFOLLOW UShttps://www.instagram.com/childhoodpreparedness/ https://www.facebook.com/ChildPreparedhttps://twitter.com/ChildPreparedhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-childhood-preparedness© Institute for Childhood Preparedness 2025 all rights reserved

Tara is a speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience specializing in autism and the founder of @autismlittlelearners She is dedicated to providing valuable resources, materials, and training to support special education teachers, speech-language pathologists, and parents of young autistic children. Find out more about her work here: https://autismlittlelearners.com/ and check out our free social stories on preparedness developed with Tara here: https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/printables

Claire Lerner is an internationally recognized child development and parenting expert with more than three decades of experience in education and direct practice. She partners with parents to help them solve their most vexing childrearing challenges by guiding them through the detective work to decode the meaning of their children’s behavior. Together, she and the parents identify the root cause of the problems they are struggling with. This insight enables her to come up with effective strategies that help parents thread the sometimes seemingly elusive needle of being the loving, connected moms and dads they want to be while setting the limits and boundaries kids need to learn to self-regulate, to build resilience, and to be able to manage life’s expectations, frustrations, and disappointments. Find out more about her services here: https://www.lernerchilddevelopment.com/

Early Childhood Chats is hosted by Andrew Roszak - JD, MPA, EMT-P

Executive Director at the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. The Institute for Childhood Preparedness is proud to use its decades of experience to offer comprehensive and expert disaster and emergency preparedness trainings live in-person, via webinar, and on-demand online.

//Visit: https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/ to find out more

// Schedule your training today https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/training

FOLLOW US

https://www.instagram.com/childhoodpreparedness/

https://www.facebook.com/ChildPrepared

https://twitter.com/ChildPrepared

https://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-childhood-preparedness

© Institute for Childhood Preparedness 2025 all rights reserved

Today we bring you a special episode thanks to our friends @GryphonHouseBooks In November they took time to sit down with our Founder and CEO Andrew Roszak, where he shared insights from his journey, starting as a firefighter and paramedic to becoming an attorney and advocate for safety in schools and childcare centers. He provides practical advice for early childhood education professionals on how to prepare for various emergencies, from natural disasters to cybersecurity threats, and sheds light on how to conduct drills without traumatizing young children. Subscribe to the Gryphon House Books Podcast, Early Childhood Chapters on their Youtube Channel @GryphonHouseBooks

You can purchase Andy's books on the Gryphon House Site:

https://bit.ly/4fbPvDx

Early Childhood Chats is hosted by Andrew Roszak - JD, MPA, EMT-P

Executive Director at the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. The Institute for Childhood Preparedness is proud to use its decades of experience to offer comprehensive and expert disaster and emergency preparedness trainings live in-person, via webinar, and on-demand online.

//Visit: https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/ to find out more

// Schedule your training today https://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/training

FOLLOW US

https://www.instagram.com/childhoodpreparedness/

https://www.facebook.com/ChildPrepared

https://twitter.com/ChildPrepared

https://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-childhood-preparedness

© Institute for Childhood Preparedness 2024 all rights reserved

A few months back we sat down with Client Success and Communications Manager for National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) and National Child Care Association ((https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-early-childhood-program-accreditation-necpa-/) Moriah Whitehead (https://www.linkedin.com/in/moriah-whitehead-6b004b192/) Moriah is a passionate young professional with a diverse skill set whose work for The National Early Childhood Program Accreditation is focused on promoting benchmarks for high quality standards throughout the early care and education profession.

Today we sat down with Jose Moreno, Founder & CEO at Neulight (https://www.neulight.io/) - Revolutionizing Personalized Student Support with IntelliTier with over 15 years at Microsoft and Netflix, Jose is leveraging his software expertise to pioneer educational innovations at Neulight, aiming to transform EdTech with AI. You can follow him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-neulight/