Trauma-Informed Practices to Support Families
Category: News
May 15, 2025
Commitment to Trauma-Informed Care
The programs at Any Baby Can have always taken a family-centered approach. We deeply value the uniqueness of every individual. We meet our staff, partners, and the families we serve exactly where they are – emotionally, physically, and culturally.
Building on this foundation, Any Baby Can is taking steps to integrate trauma-informed practices into all aspects of our work. A few years ago, nearly two dozen employees participated in theBrain Story Certification. This program provided a deeper understanding of brain development. We learned about the impact of trauma, and its long-term effects on health.
Now, as we plan for our next five years, we’re reigniting efforts to be more family-focused and inclusive.
A Focus on Families
Our guiding question remains: What can we do to be even more understanding of the population we serve?
Each of our 160+ employees recently completed the TBRI® caregiver training, offered by Nurturing Change. TBRI® stands for Trust-Based Relational Intervention. We trained staff who provide direct services as well as administrative staff in communications, operations, HR and more!
We see this as an investment in our staff, and in maintaining high-quality services. It’s only a part of our journey to nurturing healthy relationships—with families we serve and among our staff—built on trust, respect, and a desire to make our work better.
Why Being Trauma-Informed Matters
Compassion and accessibility are the cornerstones of our work.
Trauma is simply defined as a strong emotional response to a difficult event. It can look like “intense” trauma (for example, abuse or neglect). But it can also include more common stressors that many families experience like divorce, financial stress and medical interventions. In fact, 64% of people have experienced at least one traumatic event during childhood. The kids and families we serve often experience trauma through many of the systems they’re involved with. Any Baby Can aims to be a safe and welcoming space for these families.
Screening for ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) is an important piece of offering trauma-informed care. While some of our programs already do formal screening, we believe that a trauma-informed lens helps everyone.
“We want to be adaptive to the community’s needs. It’s part of meeting families where they are. We want to be a trusted place for parents. We value who they are and their experiences and backgrounds,” says Rebecca Elizondo, Any Baby Can Chief Programs Officer.
Understanding TBRI®: Healing Through Connection
TBRI® is an attachment-based intervention to help people who have experienced trauma.
Nurturing Change emphasizes the tenet from Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross, creators of TBRI® that while the intervention is grounded on years of research on attachment, sensory processing and neuroscience, the heartbeat of TBRI® is connection.
TBRI® heals through connection and teaches people regulation strategies, giving a sense of safety and individual voice.
The work begins by educating participants on how trauma impacts a child's brain (and their own brain) and has life-long effects on emotions and behaviors.
“While TBRI® was developed for children, it’s truly for all ages. We’re equipping Any Baby Can staff to teach parents how to better understand the emotional and behavioral needs of their kids, while healing from their own traumas,” says Amanda Herron, Founder & CEO, Nurturing Change.
The training helps participants understand the underlying reason behind children’s behavior. But this understanding extends to adult behavior too, such as survival behaviors like flight or fight. The training encourages people to first ask, “how can I help this person feel safe?” Through that lens, we’re able to take a more compassionate—and effective—approach to address and de-escalate challenging situations.
Accessing Support for Parents
Nurturing Change offers TBRI® training and support directly to families in the community. If you feel overwhelmed by your child’s emotional and behavioral needs, consider taking this trauma-informed approach. The Intro and Overview class is a single session offered on the first Saturday of each month. The 6-hour class is only $50 per participant, and additional discounts are available to make it accessible to everyone. To reserve a spot at an upcoming in-person class, sign up here. For parents who are unable to attend in person, you can sign up to get info on a virtual class option here.
Our Ongoing Commitment
Investing in trauma-informed training for our staff is a significant step, but it’s just one facet of Any Baby Can’s broader commitment to prioritizing parents and children.
Last year we established the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC). The PAC aims to enhance transparency and accountability within Any Baby Can by engaging program participants in design, planning and decision-making processes.
We’re getting direct insight from people who are impacted by our services, language and policies. And we’re making positive changes already!
In addition, we’re in the process of becoming a nationally-recognized Family Resource Center. With this designation comes specific standards of quality that will further guide our commitment to serving our community effectively.
“It’s about taking a step back to see the bigger picture. We’re used to doing things a certain way because it has worked, families are thriving in our programs, and the outcomes are there. But the environment is changing and it’s time for us to be more thoughtful and intentional about our work,” says Rebecca Elizondo, Any Baby Can Chief Programs Officer.
We’re embedding this work, language and policies into everything we do! We continue to evolve and respond to the needs of our families, staff and the communities we serve.
Share:
Share:
Share:
RELATED RESOURCES
We help kids meet milestones, parents achieve stability, and families improve health and well-being.
Make a financial contribution to provide trauma-informed programs to families who need it.
We’re focused on our staff, internal systems, advocacy, and expanding community engagement.
THANKS TO OUR MISSION PARTNERS
Investments from our supporters create long-term benefits for thousands of families across Central Texas. Join us in building a community where all families and children thrive.
