SMILE Program

With support from the St. Louis Mental Health Board, Flance has created and implemented an innovative new program for our children, families, and teachers. SMILE – Social-Emotional Mindfulness Plan for Inclusive Learning in Education – is a robust, multi-faceted curriculum of emotional and mental health that integrates psychosocial expertise at all levels of service. The SMILE program serves our infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, their parents and our classroom teachers.

Flance’s overarching goal is to ensure that children are intellectually, physically, and emotionally ready for kindergarten. Integrating a trauma-informed, comprehensive social-emotional program strengthens our efforts to holistically serve the Flance community. The program consists of music, art, and play therapy and mindfulness work for all of our children. In addition, our teachers participate in trainings in Conscious Discipline, Infant Massage and trauma-informed teaching practices, which increase feelings of safety, security and well-being amongst all of our students and staff.

SMILE Services

Art Therapy 🎨

Art-making comes naturally to children and is an activity that supports the development of the imagination through free-play and self-expression. The simple act of experimenting with color, shape, texture and line gives children an opportunity to explore and express ideas and feelings in a calm and mindful setting. Art therapy is employed at Flance in both group and individual settings, depending on the needs of the children.

Music Therapy 🎶

Music is a universal language and as such provides a meaningful shared experience that fosters bonding and a sense of community among Flance’s children. Exposure to music in the early years contributes to intellectual, physical, and emotional development, boosting brain-body coordination, vocabulary, language and listening skills. Flance has engaged Midwest Music Therapy to provide responsive, music-centered group activities that incorporate singing, sign language, cognitive and communication activities, instrument play, gross motor movement and self-expression.

Movement Therapy 👣

Small children coping with big feelings need support, encouragement and acceptance. They need the adults around them to remember what it is like to be emotionally overwhelmed, and to help them process emotions. We can empower children by using movement and mindfulness principles to help with self-regulation - an incredible gift that will serve them long after they leave preschool. Flance has engaged the group “Stomp the World” to help children use their bodies, breath and voice to identify, express, and begin to manage their emotions.

Play Therapy 🧩

Essential to a healthy childhood, play offers one of the best ways to support children’s emotional health. Play is one of the first ways that human beings learn to communicate, which makes it an ideal modality for helping young children work through their feelings. Flance has engaged the St. Louis Learning Disabilities Association’s Karen Thompson to provide play therapy for Flance children and their families.

For more information about Flance’s SMILE program, please contact Sally Brown at sbrown@flancecenter.org.