(FEBRUARY 2022) THE PLAYING FIELD HONORS DR. BAILEY AND CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE’S CONTRIBUTION TO ITS MISSION, VISION AND DAILY LIFE AT ITS CENTERS.
The Playing Field, located in Madison, WI, is dedicated to breaking the barriers low-income families face in accessing high-quality early care and education.
In this month’s newsletter, The Playing Field Executive Director Abbi Kruse recounts the vital relationship Conscious Discipline founder Dr. Becky Bailey has with the staff and with Kruse herself. “It is no exaggeration to say The Playing Field would not exist without Conscious Discipline,” Kruse says.
The Playing Field operates on a unique business model in which children experiencing homelessness and poverty receive high-quality, trauma-informed care and education alongside children from more advantaged backgrounds. In a recent conversation with Dr. Bailey, Kruse elaborated, “Belief in the School Family model gave me the courage to step out and try this crazy vision that became The Playing Field. Conscious Discipline has given our staff the ability to help the children who would quickly be excluded from other programs.”
In the newsletter Kruse shares how, in addition to core Conscious Discipline principles, her staff’s use of Baby Doll Circle Time, Creating the School Family and a Brain Smart sensory play path enrich students’ experiences at The Playing Field.
“It is no exaggeration to say The Playing Field would not exist without Conscious Discipline… The belief in this model was what gave me the courage to open a program where children impacted by homelessness were cared for alongside those from more advantaged families,”
The Playing Field recently expanded to a second location during the pandemic. The new location currently serves 20 children affected by homelessness and will be moving from a temporary site to a larger, permanent site in June. The new space will allow the second location to replicate the enrollment model of the original, by serving children from a wide range of socio-economic and racial backgrounds in the context of a School Family.
The Playing Field is also partnering with a local housing agency and Plumbers Union Local 75 to offer childcare, stable affordable housing and job training in one coordinated effort. This endeavor, coupled with the new 15,000 square foot facility, will allow The Playing Field to serve more families while also expanding their capacity to train and support other educators. This September, The Playing Field will partner with Conscious Discipline for the Conscious Discipline Institute for Infants and Toddlers at this new location.
Does your School Family have something to celebrate? Share your Conscious Discipline story with us!
Julie Ruffo
Julie Ruffo hails from the Washington, D.C. area and holds a degree in Corporate Media from James Madison University. She’s enjoyed an evolving role with Conscious Discipline since 1999, including contractor, Creative Director, Director of Publishing and Product Development, and Brand Manager. Julie is a steadfast behind-the-scenes force in the authoring, product development, messaging, and mission of Conscious Discipline. When she’s not glued to her laptop, she can be found with her toes in the sand of the Outer Banks, experimenting in the kitchen, screaming on a roller coaster, or planning the next family adventure.
