The more we learn about the brain and early childhood development, the more opportunities we have to make an impact early in a child’s life and set them up for a strong and resilient future.

Partnerships like the one CUPS has with Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH™) and Dr. Nicole Letourneau is just one of many ways we are continuing to embed research into our theory of change and develop innovative programs for the future.

What is ATTACH™?

ATTACH™ is a parenting program focused on building healthy relationships through reflection and mentalization. By helping parents mentalize — thinking and talking about their feelings, keeping an open mind, etc. — they have an improved ability to manage negative feelings and thoughts and stay calm under pressure.

The ATTACH™ program played a significant role in filling a knowledge gap at CUPS when it came to dealing with parents of all different backgrounds and experiences. There was an assumption that you, as a parent can see the difference between the way you would think and feel as a result of something, than your child would.

In fact, research shows that people who have been exposed to trauma and/or had low (or no) executive functioning do not understand that difference. They assume their child is feeling the same emotions they are in a stressful situation.

Continuing the work

CUPS’ involvement in ATTACH originally began when Dr. Letourneau’s research team came into CUPS to work with us and train our staff on the program, but it didn’t stop there. CUPS furthered the training and with continued in-house expertise started to apply the ATTACH program on an ongoing basis to families who needed support.

“When we see the value this brings to our families, it’s more than research,” says Carlene Donnelly, CUPS’ Executive Director. “We didn’t realize how we were missing elements in our programming to get our clients where they need to be. It’s now a full circle and embedded into our core deliverables.”