(2020, December) | Useful to Parent Centers and other service organizations that interact with families, community groups, and others through virtual technologies

Science tells us that responsive relationships help buffer us against the effects of ongoing stress, act as a core building block for resilience, and help us navigate life’s ups and downs. But how do we maintain and promote responsive relationships (e.g., serve and return, give and take) during the coronavirus pandemic?

In the Spring and Fall of 2020, the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University hosted a series of conversations with members of its Frontiers of Innovation community. Through these conversations, members shared their stories of innovation and resilience as they sought to maintain services for families during the pandemic.

This resource is a compilation of the ideas and wisdom that experts from the field shared during those conversations to help others navigate remote interactions. Some of the major strategies (which were then elaborated on to provide detail and salient examples) include:

  • Meeting families where they are;
  • Focusing on shared humanity and learning together;
  • Embracing that virtual is different.

Access the article at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, at:
https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/building-responsive-relationships-remotely/