Moving to ‘Asset-Informed’ Care By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces I recently read Ellen Galinsky’s article about a shift from “trauma-informed care” approach to the impact of trauma on children to a more strength based approach she calls “asset-informed care.” The asset-informed care really resonates for me as I work with children across …Read More

For kids facing trauma, volunteers can save their long term health By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces Poverty, violence, homelessness, child abuse… there are so many ways our children can experience trauma!  And the impact of trauma is incontrovertible and more research every day shows us how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) cause lifelong …Read More

By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces More than 50 Bright Horizons employees from across the Chicagoland geography recently gathered at the Kemper Lakes Child Development Center at the third Chicago Connector Summit to celebrate OUR Foundation. For the first time, we had attendees from the Ed Assist team, Human Resources, IT, and the …Read More

By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces When Bright Spaces started 20 years ago, our mission was to serve homeless children and provide a safe place for them to experience their childhood.  Today, we still serve children experiencing trauma like homelessness, but the settings we find them in are as varied as the circumstances …Read More

By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces The devastating news of the conditions for children at the border with Mexico is heart wrenching and devastating to those of us who hold our vulnerable children who are the next generation close to our hearts. As these children are relocated across the U.S., many care providers, …Read More

  By Bright Horizons Regional Manager Sara Hannah Sara volunteers to facilitate a parenting program called My Baby’s First Teacher at Bright Spaces in her area. Read more about her experience: I have been facilitating My Baby’s First Teacher classes for 4 years now.  Every time, I learn something new and I make a new …Read More

By Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces Epigenetics is an emerging area of scientific research that shows how environmental influences—children’s experiences—actually affect the expression of their genes. According to resources from the Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University, injurious experiences, such as malnutrition, exposure to chemical toxins or drugs, and toxic stress …Read More

by Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces “Sesame Street” is featuring its first homeless Muppet, Lily. Lily is 7 years old and her family is “staying with friends on Sesame Street after losing their home,” Sesame Workshop said. “We know children experiencing homelessness are often caught up in a devastating cycle of trauma — …Read More

by Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ~ Mother Theresa While searching for a story to illustrate helping the homeless and others impacted by the trauma of poverty at the holidays, I found this article from the Peoria Journal Star …Read More

by Ileen Henderson, National Director of Bright Spaces Recently, the Bright Space program had the honor or hosting two meaty and informative workshops presented by our partners, First Book and the Lego Foundation. These webinars fit together beautifully to lay the groundwork for our program design, our design strategies, and our trauma-informed volunteer emphasis. While …Read More