Building Community Through Shared Support

Early Years Village brings providers together across five counties to:

✔ Reduce professional isolation
✔ Share strategies for challenging behaviors
✔ Support each other in using evidence-informed practices
✔ Build connections with families through a shared approaches like Conscious Discipline

When providers are supported, they are better equipped to support children’s growth, strengthen family partnerships, and sustain high-quality care.

How Early Years Village Supports You

These trusted resources provide the foundation. Early Years Village adds:

• Local peer connection across five counties
• Shared calendar of trainings
• Navigation assistance when paperwork feels overwhelming
• Opportunities for mentorship and leadership
• Coordination with regional economic development partners

You do not have to navigate this work alone. When providers are supported, children benefit, families thrive, and communities grow stronger.

To join the Early Years Village network, contact us via email or phone!

📧 scchildcarecircle@gmail.com
📞 620-221-7224

You Are Not Alone in This Work 💬🌱

Child care is a rewarding yet often isolating profession. Research shows that family child care providers and classroom teachers can face social isolation, limited peer support, and emotional strain, especially when working independently or in rural spaces. Professional development and network-based supports have been linked to reduced isolation and improved wellbeing for early childhood providers. https://www.nccp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/text_1224.pdf

At the same time, many early childhood professionals encounter challenging behaviors in young children — behaviors that are frequently rooted in developmentally typical self-regulation needs, stress, or trauma exposure. Research has documented the emotional and classroom impacts of persistent challenging behaviors and underscores the importance of adult support and skill development. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9463106

Access Research & Evidence

Early Childhood Research Connections
A national database of child care policy research and evidence-based practice tools to support informed decision-making.
https://earlyeducatorcentral.acf.hhs.gov/research-connections

Conscious Discipline: An Evidence-Based Framework 🧠✨

Conscious Discipline is a research-based social-emotional learning and classroom management approach developed by Dr. Becky Bailey that is grounded in brain science, child development, and interpersonal connection. https://consciousdiscipline.com/methodology/research

Key features include:

• Adult first-response strategies that reduce stress and support co-regulation
• Tools to help children develop self-regulation and conflict resolution
• Practices that shift classroom culture toward connection and shared language
• Trauma-informed principles designed to build safety and belonging

According to research and program evaluations, Conscious Discipline:

• Decreases aggression, impulsivity, and hyperactivity in young children
• Improves teacher–child interactions and classroom climate
• Enhances social-emotional skills for both teachers and students
• Supports positive environments where learning and connection can thrive

Shared Language Across Providers and Families 🤝❤️

Conscious Discipline supports both providers and parents in developing shared language and strategies. When adults consistently use developmentally informed approaches to behavior and emotion, children experience:

• Greater consistency between settings (home and care)
• Better emotional awareness and expression
• Improved ability to navigate conflict and transitions

Independent research on social-emotional learning (SEL) shows that programs like Conscious Discipline contribute to positive child outcomes and improved adult–child relationships. SEL approaches are extensively linked to improvements in social behavior, emotional regulation, and school readiness.

For example, one evaluation found that when early childhood teachers implement Conscious Discipline with fidelity, children showed increases in executive function and social competence, skills connected with long-term educational success.

https://consciousdiscipline.com/blog/statistical-findings-about-conscious-discipline

Child Care Aware of Kansas – Provider Support Services: Offers peer support networks, technical assistance, and professional development tailored to both new and experienced providers. https://ks.childcareaware.org/helpful-resources-for-providers