As a houseparent, nurturing the social-emotional development of the children in the home is not only important for them, it’s often part of your actual job.

While it may sound like a “trendy” new phrase, social-emotional learning (SEL) teaches students interpersonal skills and how to understand, control, and express their emotions and has been part of education for decades under various names, including whole child education and character development. 

Many students in group home settings being cared for by houseparents have adversity and trauma in their backgrounds, making it absolutely vital for the staff they interact with to be informed.

If you are already a houseparent, it’s likely that your employer includes ongoing, relevant training according to their state licensure and particular mission and values as an organization. If you are new to houseparenting and interested in applying for a job, you may find building your SEL knowledge to be helpful as you enter a career working with children and teens. Here's a list of free resources for veteran, new, and potential houseparents to learn from and build your skills as child care provider:

1. CASEL :The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) offers a free guide that provides a framework for implementing SEL practices in schools and child care settings. While this is more systemic than a home environment, CASEL includes a helpful intro video on their homepage and includes free resources for promoting self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
2. PBS Kids for Parents: PBS Kids offers a variety of free resources for parents and child care providers, including articles, videos, and activities that promote social-emotional development. The "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" series, in particular, focuses on emotional intelligence and offers valuable lessons for young children.
3. ‍Emotional ABCs: Emotional ABCs offers free resources for teaching emotional intelligence to children, including printable activities, worksheets, and lesson plans. These resources can help children develop empathy, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills.‍
4. ChildMind Institute: The Family Resource Center within the Child Mind Institute offers a variety of free resources for supporting  children who are struggling with mental health, behavior or learning challenges. Their website includes articles, videos, and guides for parents and caregivers, as well as resources specific to anxiety, ADHD, and other mental health challenges.‍
5. The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence: For the academics among us, The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence conducts and publishes research studies on SEL topics. YCEI also offers free resources for teaching emotional intelligence to children, including the RULER Approach, which stands for Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating emotions.

These free resources can be valuable additions to your knowledge and skills as a houseparent, helping you create a nurturing environment that supportschildren's social-emotional development and ultimately helps them thrive.

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