Mental health costs have been a constantly increasing burden on our society, until recently.  As the Director of the Inspired Development Center Yolanda Esquivel promotes early childhood social and emotional education as a key solution to curb the high costs of mental health care that has grown out of proportion over the past several decades. Yolanda claims the adult skill building capacity of her staff was recently transformed after she completed the Head Start Trauma Smart Training initiated by Teri Barila of Children’s Resilience Initiative.

Yolanda understands the need during early childhood development to work less on academic skills and more on social and emotional skills. Teaching children the ability to sit and listen to instructions is one example of a simple social and emotional skill that is often overlooked. Without basic social and emotional skills children are ill prepared to sit and learn academic curriculum and are more susceptible to either dropping out or getting suspended or expelled.

The Inspired Development Center also utilizes the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) and they serve between 160 and 190 families per year. One of the program's primary objectives is to establish a classroom environment that promotes creative thinking, self-direction and positive social development. Through ECEAP, children are prepared to enter the public school system ready to learn. The program provides expertise in developmentally appropriate practices and classroom environments, health and nutrition, family support, staff training, and transition services. Yolanda explains how parent involvement plays a significant role in the overall success of the program, empowering parents to become influential in the educational development of their children.

Thank you Yolanda for your primary and fundamental contributions to a more intelligent society.