Treating Trauma through Early Childhood Court – The Herald-Tribune

A program stared in 2013 is gaining attention for its results. Sarasota’s Early Childhood Court (ECC) is aiming to get children under the age of three out of the foster care system and into permanent housing. Adolescent brain development science has shown that birth to age three is the most influential to a child’s development and being in an unable, unsafe, or traumatic environment can leave lasting consequences. Children who have participated in the ECC program have spent, on average, 104 days less in the foster care system than they would have otherwise and none were re-removed from their placement. ECC also provides the families of participants with counseling and treatment to keep track of children’s brain development and provides for further services or treatment if a child needs them. Read more.