The Ready to Learn Through Relationships (RLR) Program: Development, Feasibility, and Acceptability

Children are at high risk of exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) during early childhood. This developmental period, marked by rapid growth in fundamental skills, may render children particularly vulnerable to adverse developmental effects. Embedding universal trauma-informed supports within early childhood education (ECE) settings has the potential to mitigate the negative consequences of early exposure to PTEs; yet there is a lack of early childhood trauma-informed prevention and intervention programming. To address this need, a collaborative partnership via a participatory research approach was formed between an academic partner and several early childhood education centers in a large urban public school district primarily serving youth of color. This exploratory study describes the development of the “Ready to Learn through Relationships (RLR) Program” that emerged from this partnership. The RLR program is based on the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) guidelines for school-based models of trauma-informed care (TIC) and the “boots on the ground” experiences of the participating school district’s early childhood personnel. It utilizes implementation coaching to promote program installation and sustainability. Results demonstrate high levels of need for the program, as well as its feasibility and acceptability. Recommendations for future refinement, implementation, and evaluation efforts are discussed.