2026 International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute

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This session will examine data on the federal, state, and local levels to identify who is included and who isn’t. Through the review and analysis of environment, age, eligibility, and location, participants will explore making informed programmatic decisions and identify strategies to include all.  ,The session will highlight practical strategies to develop a culture of data use to examine and improve program quality.  ,
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We will cover the topics of trauma and substance use disorders. What is trauma? How does it present in families and children and what can we do as early educators or advocates to create a trauma-responsive environment? What is Substance Use Disorder? What are the barriers and stigmas that pregnant and parenting mothers with SUD face when seeking out child care and treatment?  We will also discuss what it means to "heal generations" and the holistic and family-centered approach we take to empower families through accessing early education, therapy, intervention, and other services at Horizons and beyond in a trauma-responsive environment.

UNC Horizons Program is a substance use disorder treatment program for pregnant and/or parenting women and their children, including those whose lives have been touched by abuse and violence. In 1993, UNC Horizons was created as a response to a significant need in North Carolina for a treatment and recovery program for pregnant and mothering women – one that helped to resolve the issues of drug use that are specific to women and their families, and one that kept those families together. Now, 250 women are touched each year – more than 5,000 since the program started – by Horizons’ integrated prenatal care and substance use disorder treatment, trauma-informed recovery practices, inpatient and outpatient treatment, career counseling, housing assistance, case management, family therapy and a 5-star child development center for our clients’ children.

In-person participants will reflect together at their tables during lunch and enter responses into Padlet.
Virtual participants can reflect and share directly on Padlet.