A Flourishing Start: The ABCs of Child & Family Well-being

In this episode, our guests discuss the role of doulas in maternal and family health, sharing personal experiences and insights into the challenges faced by young parents, particularly those from at-risk communities. Additionally, our host Esme and guests Tamar Sebesta and Amy Chen explore the importance of doula services, including the Medi-Cal doula benefit, the barriers to accessing these servi...

This conversation explores the multifaceted nature of advocacy, and how parents and caregivers can get involved. This episode features three amazing guest speakers. Sonja Tonnesen-Casalegno, Esq. is a social justice attorney, innovator, child of activists, and parent to two amazing children. Klarissa Reynoso is the Senior Program and Policy Manager for the Youth Justice Team at the National Center...

In this episode of A Flourishing Start podcast, the host and guests discuss the critical need for more resources, and support with resource navigation, for families with young children in California. Esmeralda is joined by Quijay and three parents of young children: Kat, Jryana, and Axel. Together, they dive into the  challenges of parenting, especially for those whose own experiences growing up w...

Content warning: This episode includes discussion of topics such as childhood trauma, family separation, and personal experiences of housing insecurity and homelessness. These are important, and emotionally challenging, topics. If this doesn’t feel like the right content for you to engage with today, please skip this episode. This episode delves into the often-overlooked issue of homelessness amon...

This podcast episode explores the significance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in early childhood education. Host Esmeralda Cortez Rosales engages with experts Pam Cajucom and Lolade Gbadebo to discuss the importance of SEL, its impact on children's development, and practical strategies for parents and educators to incorporate SEL in daily interactions with children.  Pam is a School Health Edu...

We’re hard at work creating Season 3 of A Flourishing Start. In the meantime, we’re excited to share this second BONUS episode with you! In this conversation, Gillian Katz Lamon and Jocelyn Yow discuss family leave programs and their importance. Meet Jocelyn Yow, a Council Member for the City of Eastvale, youth and family advocate, a mom, and most recently, children's book author. Meet our gue...

We’re hard at work creating Season 3 of A Flourishing Start. In the meantime, we’re excited to share this BONUS episode with you! In this conversation, Dana, Fiona, and Esme explore what it means to be a youth advocate, the different ways a young person can engage in advocacy, how advocacy experiences differ as a youth versus as an adult, and how adults can support youth advocates. They discuss th...

In this episode, we will learn how advocacy plays a role in making California a better state for children and families. This episode will feature speakers from California Youth Connection (CYC), a youth-led organization that has established a unique model of youth empowerment through sophisticated policy advocacy, including working with a cohort of young parents.  Chris and Jay will share their ex...

In this episode, we will talk about a long-standing, but often overlooked, resource for young children and families: public libraries. Libraries not only provide free books to borrow, they also offer resources, tools, and opportunities to help their communities thrive.  We will explore how regular trips to your local library can help both promote early learning and build community and cultural con...

In this episode, we explore how playtime impacts young children’s learning, development, and mental health and well-being. We also learn about play therapy - what it is, when it may be helpful, and how it can help children and caregivers heal. We are joined by a mother-daughter duo, Becky Wolozin, senior attorney at the National Center for Youth Law and her mom, Dr. Danielle Murstein, child and ad...

Hear from two dedicated dads who share their unique experiences, challenges, and triumphs in embracing fatherhood.  In this episode, we explore what the experience of being a new parent is like, the role that fathers can play in their baby’s healthy development and social-emotional well-being, and where they can go to find community and support. Meet Perry, a new dad to his nine-month-old son and...

Discover the transformative impact of reading and storytelling on the emotional well-being of children and their caregivers in this captivating episode. Meet Callee Boulware, the Regional Director for Reach Out and Read (ROR) since 2001. Reach Out and Read’s mission is to make reading a daily joy for families. With a network of over 425 programs, Callee and her team have touched the lives of 290,0...

Get ready for a whole host of  insights and inspiration in this finale episode of "A Flourishing Start: ABC's of Child & Family Well-being," Season 1! We're diving headfirst into the world of the “preschool-to-prison pipeline,” unpacking the complexities and shining a light on the resources and systems that can help our little ones break free from this cycle. Buckle up as we...

In this episode of "A Flourishing Start: ABC's of Child & Family Well-being," we talk about generational trauma, its manifestations in young children aged 0-5, and the intertwined well-being of their mothers and caregivers.  Hear from Danielle, who has 12 yrs experience working in community mental health and 8 yrs specializing in 0 to 5 year old children. Danielle is the Birth to...

Dive into a riveting exploration of children's mental health in our latest podcast episode, "Empowering Early Childhood Well-Being: The Community's Role". Get ready for a compassionate and honest conversation as host, Esmeralda Cortez Rosales, engages with the inspiring Mya Whitaker, a dedicated mom and auntie, and Rhea Boyd, MD, a Pediatrician and Senior Advisor at the Californi...

Join us in our latest podcast episode, "The Balancing Act: Family Well-Being, Policies, and More," where we embark on a profoundly engaging journey into child development and mental health.  We brought three guests together to talk about all it takes for caregivers and parents to juggle caring for their little ones and what policies could be put in place to support them.  Join Eva Rivera...

Join our host, Esmeralda Cortez Rosales, in an enlightening conversation with two inspiring mothers and professionals. Meet Cindy, an administrative assistant at La Clinica de la Raza and mother to three-year-old Jorge, alongside Kathryn Hallinan Aguilar, a new mom and seasoned marriage and family therapist. With over eight years in early childhood mental health and her current roles at UCSF's...

It seems like everyone is talking about mental health and well-being, but a unique group has been pushed aside for far too long: zero to five-year-olds and their families. Join A Flourishing Start Podcast, a guilt and shame-free online community, to be in conversation with other parents and to learn scientific and cultural-based information about early childhood mental health from professional exp...