RESOURCES

We have gathered a list of resources for parents, guardians and caregivers. This page is continuously updated.

Child Guidance Center of Southern CT
203-324-6127
Expert staff of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and clinicians provide individual and group mental health services for children and families from Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, and New Canaan. Services are via telehealth during the pandemic.
2-1-1 Crisis Hotline
Call 2-1-1 to reach Connecticut’s Emergency Crisis Hotline…any day at any hour.

Community Health Center, Inc.
COVID-19 testing is available without a referral or appointment. Register in advance at 475-241-0740. Integrated healthcare services are also available to all.

Center for Resilience + Well-Being in Schools

The links below offer guidance for adults to support youth in conversation when violent and scary things happen in the world. 

Talking to Children: When Scary Things Happen  (En Español) 

Talking to Students: When Violence Happens

Talking to Teens: When Violence Happens   (En Español) 

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Talking to Children about Mass Violence 

Talking to Children about Shootings

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidance for Parents
School Decision-Making Tool for Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians
This tool is designed to help parents, caregivers, and guardians weigh the risks and benefits of available educational options to help them make decisions about sending their child back to school.

Positive Parenting Tips
These links will help you learn more about your child’s development, positive parenting, safety, and health at each stage of your child’s life.

MentalHealth.gov
Important warning signs that your child may be struggling and how to help them.

Mental Health America
MHA’s programs and initiatives fulfill its mission of promoting mental health and preventing mental illness through advocacy, education, research and services.

Caring for Kids
Information provided for parents about their child’s and teen’s health and well being.

American Psychological Association

Resilience Booster: Parent Tip Tool
Advice for parents about helping their children develop resilience.

InfoAboutKids.org
This site is an ongoing collaboration of the Consortium for Science-Based Information on Children, Youth and Families, with a goal to promote healthy child and family development by highlighting science-based information for those who care for, or work with, children.

Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning: 

Family Tools
CSEFEL is a national resource center funded by the Office of Head Start and Child Care Bureau for disseminating research and evidence-based practice to early childhood programs across the country.

Zero to Three Early Connections last a lifetime

Parent Favorites
Resources to help you tune into what makes your child tick and to guide you in thinking about the best way to meet your child’s individual needs.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children

For Families
Research-based resources, tips and ideas for families – from child development to reading, writing, music, math and more!

Books on Adolescent Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety: The Ultimate Teen Guide – By Kate Frommer Cik
“Drawing upon up-to-date research and interviews, Anxiety: The Ultimate Teen Guide will help young adults better understand why they suffer from anxiety and what they can do to successfully treat it, making this a valuable resource for teens, their family, and friends.”

If Your Adolescent Has an Anxiety Disorder – By Linda Wasmer Andrews and Edna B. Foa
“Growing up can be stressful for any teenager, but it is considerably harder for the many adolescents who develop an anxiety disorder. This book is an essential guide for parents, teachers, or other adults involved with teenagers who may be affected by these disorders.”

More Than Moody: Recognizing and Treating Adolescent Depression – By Harold S. Koplewicz, MD
“One of the nation’s most distinguished child and adolescent psychiatrists shows parents the warning signs, risk factors, and key symptoms that offer important clues about depression…. With solid advice and compelling real-life stories, More Than Moody is an invaluable resource.”

Adolescent Depression Outside/In – By Kathleen Keena
“…an innovative book for adolescents, parents, and clinical professionals. Keena, a licensed addictions and mental health counselor, takes her readers inside the depressed adolescent’s imagination, and insecurities.”

Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls – By Rachel Simmons
Bestselling author and educator, Simmons helps girls and women be more authentic, assertive, and resilient.

Books on Parenting Young Children

How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk -By Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
The ultimate “parenting bible” – a timeless, beloved book on how to effectively communicate with your child.

The Emotional Life of the Toddler  – By Alicia F. Lieberman
A detailed look into the varied and intense emotional life of children aged one to three.

Click here for a list of books to read WITH young children ages 3-6

Books for Parenting Elementary School Children

The Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting  – By Dr. Laura Markham
This remarkable guide will help parents better understand their own emotions—and get them in check—so they can parent with healthy limits, empathy, and clear communication to raise a self-disciplined child.

The Gift of Failure  – By Jessica Lahey
The focus is on the critical school years when parents must learn to allow their children to experience the disappointment and frustration that occur from life’s inevitable problems so that they can grow up to be successful, resilient, and self-reliant adults.

Other Resources

Virtual Calming Room – Created by the school counselors of the Corona-Norco Unified School District, this website offers “…a place for students and families to find tools and strategies for managing emotions and feelings” and includes links to online self-care and soothing resources for kids, adolescents, and adults.