The Supporting Healthy Families project aims to strengthen family well-being by improving parent-child relationships, building resilience, and supporting the mental and emotional health of children and caregivers. Through a partnership between public health, education, and community organizations, the project will explore how family-centered programming can strengthen protective factors, address the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and promote healthier family environments. The initial pilot will focus on preschool-aged children and their caregivers, with baseline and follow-up data collection to help evaluate the program’s impact and guide future expansion.

As part of this project, we will use the MindUP curriculum with families at Eastern Montgomery Elementary School. MindUP focuses on social-emotional learning, mindfulness, self-regulation, and building positive relationships. By engaging both children and their caregivers, we hope to provide families with practical tools to manage stress, strengthen communication, and support emotional well-being at home and in the classroom. This pilot will also help us better understand how family engagement and social-emotional learning can contribute to resilience and long-term health and well-being.