About Us
Our Story
We started ConnectEd Circles because we believe the people who care for young children deserve the same quality of support they give.
We started ConnectEd Circles because we believe the people who care for young children deserve the same quality of support they give.
Early childhood work is relational work. It lives in the space between a caregiver’s patience and a toddler’s big feelings. It shows up in the way a teacher kneels down to meet a child’s eyes, in the way a parent learns to read their baby’s cues, in the quiet resilience of a family navigating systems that weren’t built for them.
But too often, the people doing this work - educators, family support workers, parents - are expected to give and give without being replenished. Professional development gets reduced to compliance checklists. Family support becomes a referral list. The relational core of the work gets lost.
ConnectEd Circles was founded by a group of early childhood professionals who wanted something different: a consulting practice that puts relationships first - not just in theory, but in structure. Every member of our team was chosen not only for their expertise, but for their commitment to reflective, strengths-based, culturally responsive practice.
When children feel safe in their relationships, they can explore, learn, and grow. When adults feel supported, they can show up fully for children. This is the foundation of everything we do.
Every family, every educator, every child brings something valuable. Our work starts by recognizing and building on what’s already working.
When a child is struggling, we don’t just look at the child. We look at the classroom, the home, the program structure, the policies, the funding - the whole ecosystem.
With bilingual team members offering services in English and Spanish, we ensure that families can engage in their own language and on their own terms.
We approach autism and neurodivergence through a strengths-based, relational lens. Children don’t need to be fixed. They need to be understood.
ConnectEd Circles grows from deep institutional roots. Our lead consultant serves as co-director of Bank Street College’s Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice - the same center that developed the BEAR Program we now deliver across Western North Carolina. Our team members have trained and worked at institutions including Bank Street Graduate School and Columbia University.
We are active members of the North Carolina Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Association (NCIMHA), with four co-founders holding the nationally recognized Infant Mental Health Endorsement (IMH-E®). We deliver workshops and training in partnership with Buncombe Partnership for Children, Raising Resilience WNC, and Smart Start partnerships across the region.
ConnectEd Circles is based in Asheville, NC and serves families, educators, and early childhood programs across Western North Carolina. We also offer virtual consulting, coaching, and professional development for programs statewide and beyond.
The ConnectEd Circles team contributes to the broader early childhood field through published writing, clinical papers, and research-informed training programs.
Young Children, NAEYC - September 2011 · Gabriel Guyton, MA, MSEd, IMH-E®
A framework for how teachers can intentionally select and use toys to meet young children’s unique developmental needs through play-based learning principles.
Clinical Paper - ConnectEd Circles
A theoretical framework synthesizing attachment science, trauma-informed practice, and neurodiversity-affirming approaches. Demonstrates how these three lenses can be held simultaneously in clinical consultation, coaching, and reflective supervision.
Institutional Connections
Educators, social workers, bilingual coaches, clinicians, and data scientists united by a belief that relationships are the foundation of everything.
We’d love to learn about your program, your families, and how we can support your work.
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