I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist or even a nurse. I am the foster-adoptive mother of a RAD child.  Kailey came into my life when she was 9-months-old. She had been hospitalized three times for failure to thrive and weighed less than 15 pounds.  When she was four, she was diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder.  As a tiny baby, she had not attached to anyone.  Her birth mother did not bond with her.  I have worked relentlessly to try and compensate for what she did not get in those first 9-months that she needed so desperately.  Kailey is my only child and the love of my life.  I can't imagine loving anyone more.

No child should ever have to experience what my beloved little girl went through. 

The thing is, her birth mom was the best mom to Kailey that she knew how to be.  She had no template of good parenting herself.  As far as we know, Kailey was never physically abused, she was not drug or alcohol effected.  She has no cognitive or motor skill delays or any physical limitations.  

The anger, stress and lack of trust that infants experience when they are pre-verbal and no one is tending to their needs is carried with them for the rest of their lives.  It's not a conscious memory, but it's there and it leaves a scar that no procedure can take away.  There is no cure for Reactive Attachment Disorder, but, it IS 100% preventable.

Dismantling the "crib to prison" pipeline is my mission.  Advocating kindness, love and emotional well-being for all--starting at the beginning of life when the foundation is being laid.  Breaking the cycle of unequipped parents raising the next generation of unequipped parents has got to stop.  Innovative approaches are reaching out to future, new and young parents that are getting their attention and making a real difference.  We're speaking to them in their own language, the language of technology, social media and hip, compelling marketing.

Yes, there are organizations who advocate breast-feeding and reading to small children. And there are certainly many organizations working to help parents of RAD kids learn how to cope with these children's very special needs. To the best of my knowledge, nobody is doing what "Smile at Your Baby" is doing.

~ Shelley Calissendorff, Founder/Executive Director

Member, World Wide Who's Who