Identifying the Need
At Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida, the Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics and Community Health team saw a growing need for emotional regulation skill development for the children in their program. While the team offered an 8-week, evening parent/caregiver education series focused on positive behavior management strategies, staff realized that the children themselves needed tools to better understand and manage their emotions.
“Many of our children struggled to name what they were feeling or how to handle big emotions,” said Felicia Santiago, Nemours Children’s Community Programs Specialist. “We needed something that would meet them where they were and that would also complement what we were teaching caregivers.”
Introducing The Zones of Regulation
The Nemours Children’s team selected The Zones of Regulation Digital Curriculum to meet this need. Over eight weeks, learners participated in weekly 90-minute sessions built around Zones concepts, visuals, and activities. The team designed each session to be engaging and supportive, using play and reflection to explore emotional awareness, self-regulation strategies, and the connection between feelings and behaviors. Volunteers from the local colleges and universities studying early childhood development or psychology helped co-facilitate the sessions, forming strong bonds with the children and often returning for future program cycles.
Early Outcomes and Community Impact
According to the Nemours Children’s team, what made the program especially impactful was the way it linked children’s learning with what their caregivers were practicing. Each week, families received printed handouts, visuals, and guidance pulled from the Digital Curriculum’s Bridge Resource to use at home. The common language and strategies helped families normalize conversations around emotions and build consistent routines for emotional support.
Although formal evaluation is still underway, early outcomes are promising. Children are more consistently naming their emotions, using regulation strategies with more independence, and supporting one another’s regulation efforts. Caregivers have reported stronger communication at home and a greater sense of confidence in responding to their children’s emotional needs. Volunteers and staff have remained deeply engaged, citing the visible impact of the program.
“The Zones helped our program’s youth put language to how they are feeling, build empathy, and identify tools that help them in any given moment.”
— Felicia Santiago, Nemours Children’s Community Health Programs Specialist
