International adoption is by its nature an emotional journey, one that traverses the highs of creating a family and the inevitable lows born of jarring change. The road can be rough, both for the parents who often must deal with children with...
EVER HAVE A CHAT with an impressively mature kid and wistfully think, "If only I'd known at her age what she knows"? I get that way every time a child shares a sage insight that took me years to learn the hard way. Like last week, when I chilled...
Marie Collins was abused as a child by a priest while she was growing up in Ireland in the 1960s. As an adult, she has long campaigned for the protection of children and for justice for victims of clerical pedophilia. On Saturday, Pope Francis named...
Consider participating in this amazing world and national event April 5th. http://www.mmaca.us/
Recently I volunteered at the two-day, Changing the Paradigm-Trauma and the Developing Child conference, hosted by Echo Parenting & Education. This organization envisions a world of non-violence in which adults respect children by ensuring their right to emotional and physical safety. On day one of the conference, during her keynote speech, Echos founder Ruth Beaglehole, asked: What action are you willing to take to make this world non-violent? I...
Hi Friends, I am laying the groundwork for my charity, Terra Firma Network, that will provide Skype and in-person therapy to substance addicts. I would love to find a network of therapists that would be willing to provide their services for a large...
[From Svava Brooks on ACEsConnection via an email by CenterForChildren.org ] Penny Davis, M.A. is a Certified Positive Discipline Lead Trainer and presenter on the effects of Insecure Attachment and Trauma on brain development, and the methods that are effective in re-building attachment, re-building the brain,and healing relationships. Penny’s early career was as a social worker in Child Protective Services, working with birth families, foster and adoptive parents. She learned...
Philly.com columnist and ACEsConnection member Jonathan Purtle wrote this report about yesterday's symposium about children and toxic stress, sponsored by the Children's Crisis Treatment Center and WHYY. Four years ago, on a train from Philadelphia to...
It's a story whose elements are all too familiar. It's easy to deem it another indictment of our failing child welfare system: A drug addict who has already lost six children to the foster care system is jailed after her two little boys wander into a...
What it’s about: This article presents a bird’s-eye view of homeless youth and family statistics so that pediatricians can better understand and serve those populations. Why read it: While the paper is addressed to pediatricians, certain...
Building a strong connection to a social group helps clinically depressed patients recover and helps prevent relapse, according to a new study. While past research has looked at the importance of social connections for preventing and treating...
Here's an article showing the proactive, protective stance being taken in Pennsylvania (a State which has learned a thing or two about how child sexual abuse destroys community trust and erodes child safety). The bill rightly stresses that...
In previous posts, I have discussed the importance of positive emotions in child development and offered some suggestions for how we can strengthen positive feelings in our children's lives -- how we can engage children's interests, nurture a spirit...
Addictive behavior such as drug and alcohol abuse could be associated with poor development of the so-called "love hormone" system in our bodies during early childhood, according to researchers. The groundbreaking idea has resulted from a review of...
The chaotic conditions described as dangerous for teachers characterize the very places we expect our children to learn. Daily stressors inherent in inequality, racism and crime interrupt the learning process. In many cases, these stressors are...