Talaris Institute

Talaris Institute is a nonprofit organization based in Seattle, WA whose mission is to support parents and caregivers in raising socially and emotionally healthy children.

Mission

Talaris serves as the bridge between what researchers know AbOUT early childhood development and what parents and caregivers practice. To help in this effort, Talaris created Parenting Counts, a program designed to deliver information grounded in research that quickly and accurately reinforces a parent’s confidence, corrects misconceptions, and reminds parents how to interact positively with their children. The Program includes professional training, products, and informational services that are supported by a foundation of child development and parenting research for children birth to age five.

History

In 2000, Bruce McCaw and Jolene McCaw, as new parents, found themselves searching for information about parenting. The McCaws learned that researchers had vital information about how babies and young children think, feel, and learn; however, they saw a substantial gap between what scientists know and what parents practice, and they also saw an opportunity to bridge this gap by translating the knowledge into usable information for parents and caregivers. As a result, the McCaws established the Talaris Research Institute to fund research and has now transitioned to translating accepted research findings into practical products for parents and caregivers.

Since doing so, Talaris has been able to develop partnership to support early learning with Boeing and the military at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Parenting Counts Program

The Parenting Counts Program serves two audiences: parents and early learning professionals, coaching both groups in how to interact with young children in everyday situations. Parenting Counts Products address many elements of child development including how the baby-parent bond serves as the foundation for a child’s social and emotional development and how to make play time, grow time.