{"id":241420,"date":"2026-04-22T06:04:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T06:04:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/241420\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T06:04:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T06:04:23","slug":"university-of-miami-miller-school-of-medicine-honored-with-three-champions-for-children-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/241420\/","title":{"rendered":"University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Honored with Three Champions for Children Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\tBy: Chad Hanson | April 21, 2026 | 10 min. read\u00a0|\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShare <\/a><\/p>\n

The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine\u2019s Mailman Center for Child Development was honored by The Children\u2019s Trust for two standout early childhood programs and one clinician whose frontline work has improved the lives of children and families across Miami\u2011Dade County.<\/p>\n

\"Group<\/p>\n

Three programs and professionals\u00a0from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine\u2019s\u00a0Mailman Center for Child Development<\/a>\u00a0were recently honored with\u00a0Champions for Children Awards<\/a> from The Children\u2019s Trust. The awards recognize outstanding efforts to improve the health, development and well\u2011being of children and families across Miami\u2011Dade County.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s honorees include two Program of the Year awards\u00a0recognizing exceptional Children\u2019s Trust\u2013funded initiatives\u00a0and one Excellence in Direct Service Award, which honors an individual whose frontline work has made a sustained and meaningful difference in the lives of children.<\/p>\n

The Champions for Children Awards, presented annually by The Children\u2019s Trust,\u00a0highlight\u00a0programs and professionals who\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0measurable impact,\u00a0innovation\u00a0and long\u2011term commitment to serving Miami\u2011Dade County\u2019s most vulnerable populations. The Children\u2019s Trust supports evidence\u2011based services focused on early childhood development, parenting support, health care access, education and family stability.<\/p>\n

Program of the Year:\u00a0Families First at the Mailman Center for Child Development<\/p>\n

\"Dr.Dr. Elana Mansoor (right) accepts the Champions for Children\u2019s award for Families First.<\/p>\n

The Families First program<\/a> at the Mailman Center received a Champions for Children Program of the Year award, recognizing its lsuccess in delivering parenting support that strengthens early parent\u2011child relationships\u00a0for parents and caregivers with children ages birth to 3.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe offer two different\u00a0evidence-based\u00a0parenting groups,\u201d said\u00a0Elana Mansoor, Psy.D.,<\/a>\u00a0assistant professor of pediatrics<\/a> at the Miller\u00a0School,\u00a0director of Families First and\u00a0director of\u00a0training and\u00a0education for the Mailman Center\u2019s Cross-Interprofessional Collaborative. \u201cBoth are Incredible Years programs that focus on strengthening the parent-child relationship, supporting development, managing behavior and helping children build school-readiness skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Families First provides structured, group\u2011based learning for caregivers of infants and toddlers, focusing on attachment, bonding, child development,\u00a0safety\u00a0and early literacy. Programs are offered in English and Spanish, both in person and virtually, and are hosted at community partner sites to reduce barriers to participation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of our groups are free\u00a0thanks to funding from The Children\u2019s Trust,\u201d\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Mansoor said.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ve been funded since 2004 and are proud to be one of their original parenting programs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Mansoor\u00a0emphasized that\u00a0the award reflects a collective effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis\u00a0award really belongs to our team and our collaborators,\u201d she said.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0their hard work and commitment that make such a difference for the families we serve.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dainelys\u00a0Garcia, Ph.D.,<\/a> associate professor of pediatrics at the Miller School and Families First co-director, added,\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0inspiring to see how the team\u2019s hard work and data-driven approach translate into real, meaningful outcomes for the children and families we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

That team\u2011based approach has\u00a0a lasting\u00a0impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of the families continue meeting even after the groups end,\u201d\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Mansoor said.\u00a0\u201cThey stay in touch with us, sending photos and sharing their successes,\u00a0and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0amazing to see how those relationships and skills continue to grow over time.<\/p>\n

\"TwalaTwala Kelly (center) received the Excellence in Direct Service Award from the Children\u2019s Trust.<\/p>\n

Twala Kelly, a licensed clinical social worker with the University of Miami\u2019s\u00a0School Health Initiative,<\/a> received a Champions for Children Excellence in Direct Service Award, honoring more than two decades of frontline work supporting students through integrated medical and mental health services.<\/p>\n

Kelly has a dual role, providing school\u2011based outreach and clinical care, including assessments, crisis intervention, care\u00a0coordination\u00a0and long\u2011term follow\u2011up for students facing academic, behavioral and mental health challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuccess is measured in a number of different ways,\u201d Kelly said. \u201cSuccess\u00a0is\u00a0making\u00a0it to the next\u00a0moment in life.\u00a0Success\u00a0is\u00a0getting\u00a0connected to\u00a0whatever services\u00a0they may need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her career path was\u00a0influenced by an intervention\u00a0early in life\u00a0while she struggled to cope with her parents\u2019 divorce.<\/p>\n

\u201cA\u00a0nice young lady spoke to me during a difficult time and gave me hope,\u201d Kelly said. \u201cSo,\u00a0at the age of 13, I made a decision that I wanted to provide services to help other kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the award, Kelly credited\u00a0support from her\u00a0supervisor, Dr. Elizabeth Pulgaron,\u00a0as key to the impact of the School Health Initiative.<\/p>\n

\u201cManagement has to be 100 percent behind whatever it is that you\u2019re doing,\u201d she said. \u201cThat support makes a\u00a0difference. Dr. Pulgaron\u00a0constantly recognizes all the behind-the-scenes work I do and decided to\u00a0nominate me for\u00a0this\u00a0award.\u201d<\/p>\n

Program of the Year:\u00a0Little Seals Program at the Linda Ray Intervention Center<\/p>\n

\"IsabelaIsabela Santana Chica (left) is executive director of the Little Seals Early Intervention Summer Program.<\/p>\n

The Little Seals Early Intervention Summer Program at the University of Miami Linda Ray Intervention Center,<\/a> part of the\u00a0University of Miami\u00a0Department of Psychology, received a Champions for Children Program of the Year award for its exceptional, family\u2011centered approach to supporting infants and toddlers with developmental delays during the earliest and most critical stages of life.<\/p>\n

Serving children 4 months to 3 years old, the program addresses each child\u2019s unique needs through a comprehensive, interdisciplinary\u00a0approach. Families served by the program often face challenges that extend far beyond developmental diagnoses.<\/p>\n

In addition to early intervention, center-based\u00a0services, the team provides support well beyond the school setting, helping families navigate complex systems and access\u00a0resources.<\/p>\n

For Isabel Santana Chica, M.S. Ed., the program\u2019s executive director,\u00a0the recognition\u00a0reflects the power of early intervention and the importance of engaging families as partners.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThese efforts\u00a0are strengthened by\u00a0evidence-based\u00a0programs and a staff of outstanding professionals who bring deep\u00a0expertise\u00a0and a commitment to quality\u00a0programming\u00a0to every child and family they serve,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0not just about working with\u00a0the children.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0about having a family\u2011centered approach. Research shows that early intervention does make a difference\u00a0and that our efforts ensure that children and their families have the strongest possible start during the years when it matters\u00a0most.\u201d<\/p>\n

More from the Mailman Center for Child Development<\/p>\n

Tags: Department of Pediatrics<\/a>, Dr. Dainelys Garcia<\/a>, Dr. Elana Mansoor<\/a>, Dr. Elizabeth Pulgar\u00f3n<\/a>, Mailman Center for Child Development<\/a>, pediatrics<\/a>, School Health Initiative<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By: Chad Hanson | April 21, 2026 | 10 min. read\u00a0|\u00a0 Share The University of Miami Miller School…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":241421,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[106733,106734,106735,106736,106737,123,125,124,17198,106738],"class_list":["post-241420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-department-of-pediatrics","tag-dr-dainelys-garcia","tag-dr-elana-mansoor","tag-dr-elizabeth-pulgaron","tag-mailman-center-for-child-development","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news","tag-pediatrics","tag-school-health-initiative"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241420\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}