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Thrive Dispatches Podcast: Relationships as The Foundation for Childhood Mental Health

In the following excerpt, Matt and Robert discuss Head Start, its programs and their impact on families and communities. These remarks have been condensed from the full interview segment.

Matt: Keeping curiosity and understanding in mind, what do you think people need to understand about Head Start? Give me like a little two-minute tutorial on what is it that people need to understand about Head Start? 

Robert: Head Start is the way we should be going about education period. It goes back to a teaching principle, right, for those who have taught, and I'll say this, if you're in a classroom, if you teach to your lowest learner (so to speak) everyone else can learn.

Right, 'cause you've scaled it back in such a way that the person who needs to understand can, and those who may not have needed that support will. That's what Head Start is meant to be. It's realizing that, hey, here's this group of individuals who don't have the same access or opportunities that are needed. 

And so we're going to wrap them in the services that will support them to give them what they need so that their children can achieve, so that their families can achieve, and as a result, the community can achieve. 

And I think, if you think about what Head Start is doing, it just makes sense for every educational model to be the same way. And I think that's what Head Start is, a one-stop shop for the family and the community.

 You go back to that idea to thrive, Head Start wants you to thrive. Hey, mom, oh my gosh, I absolutely know you would do differently for your child in terms of their nutritional health if you knew better. Don't worry, we have classes for you. And then the moment you provide that education, because it's not that the parent did not want it, they just didn't have access to it. And the moment they receive it, you see that parent, and I shouldn't even just say mother, but that parent, that family is thriving. 

And so what Head Start does is making sure families have all they need to thrive. And as a result, you see children grow.

 You hear tons of stories of individuals who said: "If it had not been for Head Start, where would I be?"

To read the full interview transcript, visit Thrive Center's website here.

Thrive Center Highlights

So Fathers Can Thrive is a learning initiative and research workgroup led by Dr. Matt Biel and Robert Harris, with the direct support of Dr. David Willis. Additional participants include Dr. Alvin Thomas, Dr. Clinton Boyd, Dr. Armon Perry, and Dr. Rebecca Ryan. The group has two goals: to produce a research agenda at Thrive Center relating to fatherhood and early childhood development, and to establish interventions, and projects that support the wellbeing of fathers and men.

Fari Ghamina Tumpe is a multi-generational caregiver with lived experience of disability. She is a housing, child care, disability and environmental advocate, a certified peer support specialist who has also been trained in mindfulness and healing-centered approaches, with support from Georgetown's Early Childhood Innovation Network (ECIN). Fari completed a fellowship at Georgetown University’s LEND program in 2024 and is a partner for all those who care about improving the lives of people with disabilities in the District. On March 27th, Fari received an Advocate for Equity Award from the DC Developmental Disability Council. Congratulations Fari!

Do you have updates that you want to share as a highlight in future editions of this newsletter? Other questions, suggestions, or comments? Is there someone that we should interview for our podcast? 

Send us an email: Thrive@georgetown.edu



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