On Saturday, May 31, 2025, Connections for Children proudly hosted the Stronger Together: Nurturing Growth through Trauma-Informed Care Conference at the Veterans Memorial Building in Culver City. The conference brought together 32 early educators and child care providers for a powerful day of learning, reflection, and connection. Centered on resilience, regulation, and healing centered practices, the event offered a space to deepen trauma-informed approaches that support both children and those who care for them.
The day kicked off with an inspiring keynote by Nikita Gupta titled Stronger Together: Finding Daily Resilience During Challenging Times. Nikita guided participants in exploring the balance of giving and receiving, offering practical tools to nurture resilience in emotionally demanding work. Following this, Jamie Jones led an energizing session on HealthRHYTHMS and Beat the Odds Drumming Programs. Through an evidence-based wellness drumming circle, participants experienced firsthand how rhythm can be used to foster regulation, connection, and empowerment. The collective drumming created a moving sense of unity as attendees played in harmony.
Gabrielle Gonzalez led the final session of the day with her presentation Embodying Self-Energy: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Emotional Balance. Drawing from the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, Gabrielle explores how emotional regulation, and mindfulness can support trauma responsive caregiving. Participants were introduced to the 8 C’s of IFS which are Calm, Clarity, Courage, Confidence, Curiosity, Compassion, Connectedness, and Creativity as a pathway to reconnecting with the self and supporting children from a grounded place.
Each attendee left with tangible resources to bring back to their work with children and families. Providers selected from curated trauma-informed Lakeshore Learning bundles tailored to infant, toddler, or preschool age groups and each filled with trauma informed materials. They also received a musical kit inspired by Jamie Jones’ session, allowing them to recreate the drumming experience in their learning spaces or self-care practices. To support creative expression and healing, each provider received a copy of Trauma-Informed Art Activities for Early Childhood by Anna Reyner. Although Anna was unable to attend in person, she provided a thoughtful recorded message explaining how the book can be used to encourage emotional expression in young children.
This incredible day would not have been possible without the dedication of the Connections for Children staff and Family Engagement Program, whose planning and coordination ensured a seamless and welcoming experience from start to finish. We extend our sincere thanks to Javier Morrone of Lex Lingua Court Interpreters Inc. for providing outstanding live Spanish interpretation, and to Jon Levy and the Picture Party Photo Booth team for adding joy and energy to the event with their fun and festive setup. And most importantly, thank you to the providers who joined us, participated wholeheartedly, and continue to show up every day for children and families in our community.
Be sure to check out some of the wonderful moments captured during the conference here on our blog and across our social media platforms!
For more information about the Stronger Together Conference, please contact Joselyn Corado Cornejo, Trauma Informed Care Advisor, at joselync@cfc-ca.org or (310) 452 3325 Ext. 257.
