nurtured child

About Us

A resource center committed to supporting fulfilling lifelong relationships.

Nurtured Child is a resource center committed to supporting fulfilling lifelong relationships. Rooted in the profound teachings of Dr. Emmi Pikler and Magda Gerber, we highlight intentional caregiving, early parenthood, infancy, and toddlerhood.

RIE facilitators Anna Ruth and Leith setting up the play space inside the Nurtured Child studio

When you work with a team of RIE®-informed practitioners, you're not just hearing one perspective—you’re gaining the support of multiple aligned voices, each grounded in respectful, attuned caregiving.

This team approach offers:

  • Broader insight from three practitioners who reflect and consult together

  • More support, not more noise—offering clarity, not confusion

  • Consistent guidance rooted in shared values, not competing opinions

But most importantly:
We believe you are the expert on your child.
Our role is simply to listen, reflect, and offer support when needed—encouraging your own instincts, not replacing them.

With the strength of a team behind you, your confidence deepens.
Because parenting doesn’t need to be done alone—and respectful care thrives in relationship.

A Team Approach, Rooted in Respect

  • • They enjoy the peace and calm of a carefully prepared environment

    • They take pleasure in their own self-determined activity

    • They feel safe with the attentive presence of their caregiver/ caregivers

    • They move and play at their own pace

    • They find their own solutions to problems that arise

    • They develop initiative and autonomy

    • They have the opportunity to interact with other children with facilitator support as necessary

  • • You are with your child in a peaceful, calm environment free from many of the common distractions of the outside world

    • You can actively observe your child and get to know them even better

    • You can accompany your child and witness their unfolding and growth on their way to early independence

    • You have the opportunity to engage with the facilitators and other parents as well as discuss any questions or thoughts or concerns that come to mind

    • You can sit back and relax and look forward to your child and simply "enjoy" your time together

  • “A toddler is always learning. The less we interfere with the natural learning process, the more we can observe how much children are constantly learning.” - Magda Gerber

meet the team

Our Facilitators

Nurtured Child Founder and Facilitator Anna Ruth Myers

Anna Ruth Myers

founder, CO-DIRECTOR

Anna Ruth Myers, MA, is the founder of Nurtured Child, a resource center committed to supporting fulfilling lifelong relationships. Rooted in the profound teachings of Dr. Emmi Pikler and Magda Gerber, Nurtured Child highlights intentional caregiving, early parenthood, infancy, and toddlerhood.

Anna Ruth is an early years specialist with over 20 years of experience supporting families and young children. She is a RIE® Associate and Pikler® Pedagogue candidate, and holds a Master of Arts in Human Development with a focus on Infant-Toddler Studies and Parent-Community Work from Pacific Oaks College.

In addition to her work with families, Anna Ruth consults for early childhood centers, bringing a deep understanding of respectful, relationship-based care into group settings. She is also a certified doula and an educator in both childbirth and lactation, having worked with hospitals and birth centers to advocate for respectful infant care from birth.

Anna Ruth holds diplomas in both Montessori and Waldorf education and has completed two study tours in Reggio Emilia, further enriching her integrative, child-centered approach to care and education.

Nurtured Child Facilitator Leith Speer Barton
Growing in Harmony tagline

Leith Speer Barton

CO-DIRECTOR

Leith Speer Barton is a RIE Associate, Certified Parent Coach, Fair Play Facilitator, and mother of two, currently pursuing a Master of Social Service at Bryn Mawr College.

Previously an editor and brand consultant specializing in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle industries, Leith naturally began applying her consulting lens to the challenges she faced as a new parent. She approached parenting the way she had approached her professional work—identifying problems and searching for thoughtful, lasting solutions.

Skeptical of trends and quick fixes, she was immediately drawn to the simplicity and timelessness of Magda Gerber’s Educaring® Approach. After enrolling in local RIE Parent-Infant Guidance™ classes in New York with Anna Ruth, her appreciation for the Educaring approach deepened.

In 2017, Leith took the RIE Foundations: Theory and Observation course in Los Angeles. Over the following five years, she continued her training with Anna Ruth and several other RIE Mentors, including Elizabeth Memel, Jill Getto Lee, Anita Cooper Ebright, and Melissa Coyné.

Leith became a RIE Associate in 2022 and now applies her consulting skills full-time to working with parents, caregivers, and professionals in the field of early childhood.

Meredith Bischel Winfrey

FACILITATOR, JOURNAL CONTRIBUTOR

Meredith is a public relations consultant based in Brooklyn, NY. Her interest in RIE began during her time as a parent in Anna Ruth and Leith’s RIE Parent-Infant Guidance™ classes. Over the past six years, she has had the opportunity to learn from many inspiring RIE Associates, and most recently traveled to California to complete her first RIE Internship.

In addition to her interest in how we care for our own children, she organizes with other parents and caregivers through the Alliance for Quality Education and Integrated Schools, to advocate for resource redistribution that would ensure high quality public childcare and public education for all children.

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