Tara Ward, an expert in early childhood education, focuses on providing individualized professional development and support for early childhood teachers and programs. She specializes in infant and toddler development, infant mental health, family engagement, business administration, policy implementation, literacy, early childhood nutrition, grant management, supporting families as partners, and social and emotional learning.
Ward is a training and technical assistance associate for EDC’s Center for Early Learning Professionals, where she supports Rhode Island early childhood educators in strengthening their programs and services to improve outcomes for children and their families. She provides trainings on high-quality infant/toddler and preschool classroom environments.
Prior to joining EDC, Ward was a program administrator in the nonprofit sector for 18 years. As a program leader, she guided her program and staff in improving the quality of services to ensure the optimal growth, development, and education of children ages infant though pre-K.
Ward holds a BS in Psychology from Sacred Heart University, where her focus was on infant brain development and counseling.