PTAN is a grant-funded statewide technical assistance and training network that promotes quality, developmentally appropriate and culturally competent early childhood education and special education programs in New Hampshire.
The PTAN Child Care Inclusion Project provides FREE (grant-funded) services to NH child care teachers and directors to support their successful inclusion and retention of children with challenging behaviors and other special needs. Early childhood inclusion embodies the values, policies, and practices that support the right of every infant and young child to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities, and society regardless of ability.
A Life Remembered
The Coaches, Consultants, and Trainers who had the privilege of working with Joan Izen as members of the PTAN cohort (Preschool Technical Assistance Network) wish to honor her remarkable legacy following her passing on May 27, 2026.
Joan was deeply passionate about her work and devoted her career to supporting New Hampshire’s youngest children, their families, and the early childhood community. In 1992, she envisioned and created PTAN, a statewide grant-funded project dedicated to promoting high-quality early childhood programs throughout New Hampshire. Joan also served as the lead for the New Hampshire Pyramid Model Leadership Team, working to establish a sustainable statewide infrastructure that supports high-fidelity implementation of the Pyramid Model across all early childhood settings.
Joan was a visionary leader who approached her work with patience, collaboration, and thoughtful determination. She had a clear sense of purpose and a commitment to creating meaningful, lasting change. The PTAN cohort is committed to carrying her legacy forward by embodying the integrity, compassion, quality, respect, and patience that she demonstrated every day and that the field has come to value so highly.
Joan led with courage, transparency, and kindness while making sure every voice in the room was heard. Her expectations were clear, yet always grounded in respect and support for others. She championed the highest standards of professional development and believed wholeheartedly in the importance of this work. Her optimism encouraged others to view challenges through new perspectives, and she consistently guided conversations back to the fundamental question: Why?
For hundreds of professionals in the early childhood community, Joan was a mentor, advocate, and source of inspiration. She empowered others to recognize their strengths, believe in their abilities, and appreciate their own worth. The impact of her leadership, wisdom, and dedication will continue to be felt through the countless lives she touched and the important work she inspired.
Our Staff
Hillary Pincoske, PTAN Project Coordinator
Hillary grew up in New Hampshire and holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. She spent the first 20 years of her career working as a Kindergarten teacher and Assistant Director of Program at a small independent school in the lakes region of NH. She joined the PTAN staff in June 2017 to start her new adventures supporting the social emotional needs of young children throughout the state.
[email protected]
Contact Us! Phone: (603) 865-7145 Address: PO Box 1243 Concord, NH 03302
Becky Britton
Becky Britton has spent over 20 years working with children and families. She holds a B.A in Psychology from Rivier University. Her credentials include a certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies, an intermediate level Early Childhood and Family Mental Health Credential, and a NH Early Childhood Master Professional Credential with Program Consultant Endorsement. Work experience includes overseeing the mental health content area for Head Start, Behavioral Support Coaching for Project LAUNCH, and Practice-Based Coaching for iSocial.
Becky has substantial experience working with staff and families in supporting children with challenging behaviors and/or disabilities, providing professional trainings on areas related to social-emotional development and challenging behavior, and facilitating parent education groups. In her free time, Becky enjoys spending time with her family.
Jan Richards
Jan Richards has been in the field of Early Childhood Education for over 30 years. She holds a B.A. in Home Economics with a focus on Early Childhood Education from Keene State College; a Master’s degree in Community Mental Health and Mental Health Counseling with a focus on Children and Families from Southern New Hampshire University; Pyramid Model TPOT and TPITOS Interobserver Reliability Trainer and Observer; and New Hampshire credentials that include Early Childhood Master Teacher, Infant and Toddler Foundational level 11, Workshop Trainer, Faculty, and Program Consultant.
Jan recently retired from the Child Development Center on the campus of Keene State College where she worked with infants and their families. Her role also included mentoring undergraduate college students enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program at KSC. She is passionate about infant development; quality environments for young children; guiding and coaching adult learners working in the Early Childhood field; and the importance of healthy brain development within the first years of life and how it affects the person as an adult.
Julie Sackett
Julie Sackett’s background in early childhood education (ECE) includes a variety of experiences, which began when she started a small child care center in Plymouth with her husband in 1991. Since that time, she has served as Executive Director of a nonprofit child care organization in the Lakes Region, and as Director of Head Start, Early Head Start and Child Care for Belknap-Merrimack Community Action Program. in addition, she has worked in Child Care Resource & Referral, served as Adjunct Faculty for Plymouth State University, and she has been actively involved with state-level organizations, including Early Learning NH, Spark NH, and the Child Care Advisory Council.
She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a Master’s degree in Community Psychology, and a Master’s degree in Education. Currently, she enjoys working on a variety of initiatives as an Independent Contractor, including PTAN consultation. Her primary focus is on supporting Pyramid Model implementation, as a Practice-Based Coach supporting individual practitioners in implementation of Pyramid Model practices in the classroom, as well as Program Coach supporting leadership teams in system development to support program-wide implementation. She is also a member of the NH Master Cadre of trainers and coaches, and is certified to administer TPOT and TPITOS classroom assessments.
Deborah M. Stokel
Deb earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Plymouth State University and hold’s a Master Professional Credential from the State of NH. She is a Pyramid Model trained Master Cadre member. Deb is certified in the administration of the TPITOS and TPOT Pyramid Model Fidelity tools. Recently she was an adjunct faculty member in the Early Childhood Program at Great Bay Community College (GBCC) where she acted as the Project Manager for the GBCC Community Partners Initiative. She is a past Co-executive Director and Early Childhood Program Director for a large, non-profit, NAEYC Accredited program in the NH Seacoast area. Deb is a former private school owner as well as an Independent Contractor: Trainer, Mentor, and Consultant for public and private schools throughout New England.
Tammy Vittum
Tammy was a preschool special education teacher and coordinator for a public school district in NH for 33 years. She earned a Master’s of Education from Keene State College and is National Board Certified as an Exceptional Needs Specialist. She holds NH certifications in Elementary Education, Special Education and Early Childhood Special Education.
She has been a member of the NH Pyramid Model State Leadership Team since its inception. During her 2 years as a Distinguished Educator with the NH Department of Education, she gained a depth of knowledge in systems work, which she applies as a Process Coach for several programs implementing the Pyramid Model. She is also certified in administering the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) and is a member of NH’s Pyramid Model Master Cadre. She is Co-Director of Early Childhood Region 1 through Impact Monadnock – Monadnock United Way. Tammy enjoys spending time in nature, especially while visiting National Parks.
Charna Aversa
Charna holds a BS in Family Studies and a M.Ed, in Early Childhood Education from the University of NH where she also did some post-graduate studies in Inclusion Facilitation. She has nearly 22 years of experience in the field including teaching at the preschool-4th grade levels. Much of her career has been spent working in a Head Start Program as a Teacher, Family Advocate, Disabilities & Mental Health Services Manager and Administrator. Charna’s state level work includes membership on the Interagency Coordinating Council, Spark NH and the Pyramid Model State Leadership Team. She currently provides program coaching as part of the Master Cadre and has recently become a PTAN Consultant. Charna is passionate about play and nature-based learning and ensuring all children are supported to thrive and succeed in the classroom. When she is not working with young children, Charna enjoys spending quality time with her grandchildren and her dog, taking advantage of the beautiful lakes and mountains NH has to offer.
Katrina Watson
Katrina holds a Master’s in Early Childhood Education from New York University and is pursuing a CAGS in Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice at the University of New Hampshire. She is currently the Home-Based Specialist at Belknap Merrimack County Early Head Start and has a diverse background as an early childhood educator and practice-based coach.
Katrina is excited to be joining the PTAN cohort. She will be supporting programs in Pyramid Model Implementation through coaching, training, and consulting; she is committed to fostering awareness and intentionality among educators and administrators in their work with young children and families. She enjoys walking, yoga, and reading stories with her two young children.
Tabitha Riley
Tabitha has a Master of Education from Antioch University New England. She is licensed through The New Hampshire Department of Education with an Early Childhood Education endorsement and is credentialed through the New Hampshire Early Childhood Professional Development System as an Early Childhood Educator III and as a Professional Development Specialist with Consultant and Coach endorsements.
Tabitha is an experienced early childhood educator, and she feels fortunate to have worked at a Pyramid Model implementation site where she participated on the school’s Leadership Team and received Practice-Based Coaching. These experiences were transformational for Tabitha as an educator, and she feels honored to support other early care and education programs with their Pyramid Model implementation and child inclusion efforts as a member of the PTAN Cohort. Tabitha is passionate about play-based learning and believes deeply that children need opportunities to be outside, to explore nature, and to build relationships with place.
Vanessa Gordon-Grundy
Vanessa Gordon-Grundy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Studies and a MS in Early Childhood Studies-Administration, Management & Leadership. She has taught for Early Head Start and served as the Education and Disabilities Services Specialist for Belknap-Merrimack Community Action Program for most of her career, for both Home Based and Center Based Program options. She is also an adjunct faculty member at NHTI, in the Family Studies Department.
Vanessa is passionate about providing high quality programming for young children and their families through supporting, guiding, and working collaboratively with early childhood professionals in a strengths-based approach.
Mary Cornish
Mary began her journey in the field as an undergraduate at the University of Maine, earning a degree in Early Childhood and Family Studies. She went on to receive her master’s from Tufts and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chaple Hill. Both degrees intensely focused on inclusive early care and education.
Over her 40- year career, Mary has engaged with diverse children, families, and teachers in a wide variety of settings across the United States and Europe. She has taught in infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms and directed a childcare program. In Head Start and military childcare she served as on-site professional development specialist. Mary is a recently retired professor of the Department of Early Childhood Studies at Plymouth State University. During her 20-year tenure, she taught courses in culturally responsive early care and education and early childhood curriculum and instruction (birth though age 8). Mary believes that family engagement is paramount to young children’s learning and success. This topic has been a major focus in her teaching, research, and writing. Since retiring, Mary joined NH’s Pyramid Model Master Cadre, became a PTAN child care consultant, and a Master Gardener. Gardening is her favorite hobby.
Interested in becoming a Program Coach with our New Hampshire team? Complete this application!
PTAN Child Care Inclusion Project
The PTAN Child Care Inclusion Project provides child care teachers with consultation, training and resources to support their successful inclusion of all children in their program. Our goal is to reduce or eliminate expulsion and suspension of children from their child care setting and promote teacher retention.
PTAN services are available at no cost to NH child care programs, family- and center-based. Skilled and knowledgeable consultants provide telephone, onsite and virtual consultation depending upon the intensity of need. Services continue until program staff feel confident in their abilities to maintain the child in their program and promote his or her successful inclusion in program activities. PTAN services are grant funded by the NH DHHS Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration.
To request assistance, NH child care teachers and directors can call the PTAN Project Coordinator at (603-865-7145 or email [email protected]
The PTAN Child Care Inclusion Project is a comprehensive statewide program that offers:
- Free and equitable access to consultation and training for NH child care programs
- Short- and long-term consultation and technical assistance to support a program’s efforts to maintain all children, including those whose behavior and/or special needs challenge them
- On-going, program improvement consultation and training to increase capacity of child care programs for parents of children with special needs
- Consultation that integrates Pyramid Model evidence-based practices to support children’s social and emotional development
PTAN services and supports for NH child care providers are grounded in the belief that:
- Children are capable individuals
- Behavior is a form of communication
- Describing behaviors and feelings is a more effective support to children than labeling them
- It is the teacher’s role and responsibility to teach children positive (pro-) social skills
- Time out is not an effective behavior management strategy because it doesn’t teach children pro-social skills
- Change in child behavior depends on change in the teacher’s behavior.
- PTAN Child Care Inclusion Consultants model respect and active listening in all interactions
- Reflective consultation is a form of professional development that has direct, positive impact on children’s behaviors
- Consultation is most effective when it is requested not mandated
- Establishing a strong consultative relationship with teachers and administrators is key to having a positive impact on children’s behaviors
Maintaining children with special needs in their child care setting benefits children, parents, providers and the community at-large; children are spared the trauma associated with expulsion, parents are secure in their child’s placement and able to focus on their workplace responsibilities and providers feel more confident and competent, decreasing the likelihood of provider turnover.
Information about the PTAN Child Care Inclusion Program
- PTAN Child Care Inclusion Project Flyer– Post this flyer in your program so that staff have access to information about FREE project services. To request services, contact the PTAN Project Coordinator at 603-865-7145 or [email protected].
PTAN Consultants, Coaches, and Trainers are professionals from the fields of education, special education and mental health who have the experience, knowledge and skills required to support early childhood professionals in their work with children with very challenging behaviors and other special needs.
Consultants, Coaches Trainers: Roles and Responsibilities PDF
PTAN Consultant Documents and Forms
This folder includes the following documents:
- Expulsion Prevention Checklist
- Consultation Agreement
- Parent Permission Letter
- Consultation Action Plan Template
- Consultation Monthly Report Template
- Consultation Invoice Template
- Meeting/Training Invoice Template
- PTAN Child Care Consultation Guidelines
Coaching Documents and Forms
This folder includes the following documents:
- Coaching Action Plan Template
- Strength and Needs Assessment
- Program Wide Critical Elements Form
- Coaching Agreement
- Goal Setting Questions
- PIDS New User Form
- Coaching Invoice Templates (DHHS/PDG)
- Fidelity Tool Administration Invoice Templates (DHHS/DPG)
- Guidance for Determining Readiness for Implementing PTR-YC
- NH Program Coach Guidance
- PM Kit Guide
Resources to Support Young Children who Bite and Their Family:
PTAN Biting Protocol
How to Help Your Child Stop Biting
Responding To Your Child’s Bite
DEC Position Statement on Challenging Behavior and Young Children
The Division for Early Childhood (DEC)’s July 2017 Position Statement on Challenging Behavior and Young Children (https://tinyurl.com/y8omad5d)readdresses the significance of the healthy social-emotional competence of all children and provides guidance to practitioners, teachers, and families in preventing and effectively responding to challenging behaviors. DEC’s position includes culturally sustaining, family-focused practices, as well as a commitment to inclusion, professional development, technical assistance, and using approaches that eliminate suspension and expulsion.
The Backpack Connection for Teachers and Parents
The Backpack Connection Series includes handouts in four categories: addressing behavior, emotions, routines and schedules and social skills, that support young’s children’s social emotional skill development. Each article includes content and suggested strategies intended to support teachers and family members. The articles are easy to download, copy and share and are an excellent resource to send home when a new strategy or skill is introduced in the classroom to inform parents about what their child is learning at school and to provide specific ideas on how to use the strategy or skill at home. The resources are available in a variety of languages.
Nice Kids Finish First: Study Finds Social Skills Can Predict Future Success
This is a brief (4 minute) piece from NPR about the importance that ‘pro-social’ skills play in a child’s development. Listen to it here.
More resources:
NH Early Learning Standards
What is expulsion?
- The complete and permanent removal of a child from an educational system, e.g., child care center (Gilliam & Shahar, 2006).
- Terminating the enrollment of a child or family in the regular group setting because of a challenging behavior or a health condition. (Caring for Our Children; National Health and Safety Performance Standards Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs, 3rd edition)
What is suspension?
- Reduction in the amount of time a child may be in attendance of the regular group setting, either by requiring the child to cease attendance for a particular period of time or reducing the number of days or amount of time that a child may attend. Requiring a child to attend the program in a special place away from the other children in the regular group setting is included in this definition. (Caring for Our Children; National Health and Safety Performance Standards Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs, 3rd edition)
What are challenging behaviors?
- Any behavior that makes it difficult for a young child to be successful in a group environment. Such behaviors interfere with a child’s ability to positively interact with others and may disrupt the learning process or even pose health and/or safety risks. Such behaviors often frustrate adults because the behaviors do not respond to typical behavior intervention strategies. (Izen and Kalinowski, 2010)
- Any repeated pattern of behavior that interferes with or is at risk of interfering with optimal learning or engagement in prosocial interactions with peers and adults. (Powell, Fixsen, Smith, & Fox, 2007)
What is required by NH Child Care Regulations?
The NH Child Care Licensing Rules passed on November 3, 2017 include language specific to preventing the expulsion of young children from child care due to challenging behaviors. This language is included in the rule: He-C 4002.25 Behavior Guidance and Treatment of Children which can be found HERE (pages 81-82).
The rule states that:
(g) Programs shall develop and implement a written policy to address the limitations of expelling children from the child care program for challenging behaviors. The policy shall address at a minimum:
(1) The steps the program will take to assist the child in maintaining enrollment prior to expelling the child for challenging behaviors;
(2) Parent notification requirements regarding their child’s challenging behavior; and
(3) The responsibilities of the program if the challenging behavior results in a serious safety risk to the child or others within the program.
(h) The written policy in (g) above shall be provided to parents at enrollment.
(i) The expulsion policy shall only apply when addressing a child’s behavior and not a parent’s misconduct or the parent’s failure to comply with other child care rules or laws.
All NH licensed child care programs are required to have a policy in place by April 30, 2019. Licensed-exempt providers serving children birth to five years of age and their families are included in this requirement.
Where can I find resources to support the development and implementation of expulsion prevention policy?
For support on writing your expulsion prevention policy contact Child Care Aware of NH for technical assistance.
This TEDx Talk by Rosemary Allen serves as a great introduction to suspension and expulsion. It provides insight into the core issues and helps you think about strategies to address the problem.
Resources to Share with Families contains articles, links, and tools that can either be directly shared with family members or used to help staff think about how to communicate with families about challenging behavior.
Preventing Suspensions and Expulsions in Early Childhood Settings: A Program Leader’s Guide to Supporting ALL Children’s Success is an excellent resource developed by national experts. The guide is a research-based tool aimed at helping you eliminate suspensions and expulsions in your early childhood program by addressing the underlying root causes. The guide provides information, recommended policies and practices, resources, and tools targeted at three levels or tiers of support to help program leaders. There are links to a variety of video clips and programs that may be useful for staff development and a brief (5-7 minute) optional self-assessment is provided that will result in a tailored roadmap to navigating the guide.
A Guide for Developing an Expulsion Prevention Policy is a tool to help NH child care programs develop and implement a policy to prevent or to minimize expulsion. The tool offers suggestions and resources to support a program’s preparation, policy writing, informing families and staff, and implementation.
The Expulsion Prevention Self-Reflection Checklist is a checklist that includes steps teachers can take to support ALL children in their child care program. This tool is used to support PTAN consultation and can also be used by programs and teachers independently.
What is Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)?
Recognizing and Addressing Trauma in Infants, Young Children, and their Families
This tutorial was developed by Kathy Seitzinger Hepburn for the Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, an Innovation and Improvement Project funded by the Office of Head Start. It contains 5 modules:
After a Crisis: How Young Children Heal
A resource from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network that offers tips to parents on how to help young children, toddlers, and preschoolers heal after a traumatic event.
How to Implement Trauma-informed Care to Build Resilience to Childhood Trauma
This research brief from Child Trends (5/9/19) summarizes current practices for implementing trauma-informed care to support children who have been exposed to trauma. The authors outline the ways in which a broad range of programs (including afterschool programs, schools, early care and education providers, medical providers, and social services) can incorporate trauma-informed care into their services and help children build resilience against past and future traumatic experiences.
What are ACES? And how do they relate to toxic stress?
An infographic from the Center on the Developing Child – Harvard University.
Helping young children who have experienced trauma: Policies and strategies for early care and education
This report from Child Trends and the National Center for Children in Poverty includes a review of the prevalence of early childhood trauma and its effects. The report offers promising strategies for child care and preschool programs looking to help young children who have endured trauma, and presents recommendations for policymakers to support trauma-informed early care.
