Second season of ‘A Flourishing Start’ is packed with powerful insights
NCYL’s podcast focuses on young children and their caregivers and features enlightening discussions around homelessness, playtime, cultural connections — and even the ‘Paletero Man’
By Esmeralda Cortez Rosales, host of ‘A Flourishing Start’
Infants and toddlers, the youngest and most vulnerable among us, are the people most at-risk of being evicted from their homes.
I’ll admit, even I — someone whose work is focused on advocating for young children — was shocked to learn this heartbreaking truth. But, I was also moved and inspired as I listened to a young mother share her experiences navigating homelessness with her baby daughter and how those experiences led her to advocate for critical reforms.
That eye-opening conversation was among many insightful, educational, and inspirational discussions I was privileged to host for the second season of “A Flourishing Start,” a podcast produced by the National Center for Youth Law that focuses on supporting the mental health and well-being of children ages 0 to 5 and their caregivers.
Above all else, this season solidified “A Flourishing Start” as a place for people with lived experiences to share powerful and transformational stories, allowing us all to learn and grow together. Too often, systems are far removed from the people they impact, so I’m particularly proud to host this space of authentic and enlightening conversation.
Here are some of my personal reflections from our five-episode Season 2 (available on Youtube, Spotify and Apple):
Handling homelessness
As previously mentioned, I was surprised to learn just how vulnerable infants, toddlers, and their families are to eviction and homelessness. In our Season 2 finale, Chris, an advocate with the youth-led California Youth Connection, shared her experiences navigating homelessness as a young parent, discussed how she got involved in advocacy, and offered tips and advice for others to become more involved.
Listen to Chris talk about her journey from being kicked out of her foster home to becoming an advocate in the clip below:
Power of play
In Episode 3, a pair of special guests and I explore the ways that playtime positively impacts young children’s learning, development, mental health and well-being. I was pleased to be joined in this conversation by Becky Wolozin, a senior attorney at NCYL, and Dr. Danielle Murstein, Becky’s mother — our first mother-daughter duo to co-guest on “A Flourishing Start.”
This episode was particularly fascinating for me, not just because I hosted a colleague, but also because “play therapy” played an important role in my own development. I started sessions when I was 10, after losing my brother to gun violence. I remember the therapy helping me feel safe and heard and, importantly, getting me to realize I was extremely sad and not just angry. I didn’t understand the science behind it at the time, so it was great to explore these issues with Becky and Dr. Murstein.
Dedicated dads
In Episode 2, two devoted dads share their experiences, challenges and triumphs in adjusting to fatherhood. These dads talked about the realities of being a father and the stigmas they’ve faced while embracing their caregiver side. It was a touching conversation that highlighted the importance of fathers in young children’s well-being.
Perry, one of the dads, shares some tips below for first-time fathers:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5cD7naPc4X/
‘Paletero Man’
One of the funniest moments of the season for me was in Episode 4, which focused on the importance of libraries and the community and cultural connections and resources they provide. In the episode, Marie Lim-Moreno, another amazing NCYL colleague, talked about raising a multicultural family and shared that she reads a book called “Paletero Man” to her toddler son to help connect him to his Latine roots. The discussion sparked a lot of fun memories for me. As a Latina who grew up in a predominantly Black and Brown neighborhood, it felt like everyone knew the Paletero Man.
The importance of reading and storytelling was also a central focus of our Season 2 debut, which highlighted how reading can create emotional bonds and improve the emotional well-being of children and their caregivers.
I’m so grateful to all our guests who helped make this season so memorable and powerful. By sharing their stories, they’re helping us all connect with each other, better understand those whose journeys differ from our own, and learn together. These are the connections we need to create better policies and, ultimately, a better world for the youngest among us to grow and thrive.
Esmeralda Cortez Rosales is a Community Policy Associate at the National Center for Youth Law and leads the organization’s efforts to improve infant and early childhood mental health for children 0 to 5 years old across California. Esmeralda works with parents, caregivers, community leaders, and advocates to develop and implement community-based work that centers children and families.
