Clayton is committed to creating family-friendly after school communities that help prepare children to become confident, competent, and caring adults who are prepared to live great lives. While it was a challenge, Clayton served the families of Tarrant County throughout the uncertainties of the pandemic with child care for essential workers, pop-up virtual school locations, and distribution of more than 35,000 books and enrichment activity kits. Returning to “normal” has presented different challenges as it is clear that children have suffered emotionally and academically due to disruptions in school day and extracurricular activities, loss of supportive services, family stress, and social isolation.

Educators and researchers are seeing very high levels of social, emotional, and academic need in schools across the country and here in Tarrant County. Having spent the past five years developing and investing in development of a trauma-informed learning program framework and after school curriculum, Clayton is providing impactful, research-based programs specifically designed to help children develop the life skills they need to be resilient to succeed in the classroom and beyond.