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By Anemona Hartocollis and Stacy Cowley, The New York Times, May 3, 2021 Richard Cordray, a close ally of Senator Elizabeth Warren who served as the first director of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau during the Obama years, has been selected as the new head of federal student aid in the Biden administration, a post that will put him at the center of the swirling debate over forgiving student debt . The issue is a tricky one for President Biden. Though he has endorsed...

By Julia Lurie, Mother Jones, April 26, 2021 For decades, researchers have pointed out that the child welfare system is riddled with inequities. Black children are far more likely than their white counterparts to be investigated as victims of abuse and neglect, to be placed in foster care, and to be permanently separated from their biological parents. “Spend a day at dependency court in any major city and you will see the unmistakable color of the child welfare system,” wrote Dorothy...

By John Fensterwald, EdSource, May 10, 2021 Arguing that appropriating billions of dollars alone will not ensure action, community organizations and parents from Los Angeles and Oakland are asking an Alameda County Superior Court judge to order the state to immediately provide computers and internet access and address the mental health needs of children who have borne the brunt of the pandemic. The May 3 request for immediate relief comes six months after the plaintiffs sued the State Board...

By Good News Network, May 10, 2021 Tanitoluwa Adewumi—more commonly known by his nickname “Tani”—may be just 10 years old, but he’s already become an official Chess National Master, with an impressive rating of 2223. The 28th-youngest person ever to achieve such a title in a States, Tani was only introduced to the game of chess a few years ago, while living with his family in a homeless shelter. In 2017 Tani, his parents, and brother became refugees after fleeing Nigeria to escape violent...

By Sara Tiano, The Imprint, May 9, 2021 A year ago, the spot on Hegenberger Road in Oakland’s industrial district was but a barren parking lot. Today, it is an art-drenched neighborhood of “tiny homes” created by a local nonprofit, the latest effort to address California’s youth homelessness crisis. The 26 tiny homes, each measuring 8 feet by 10 feet, feature skylights, heated floors and custom Murphy beds that, when folded up, transform into a table. Each miniature house designed for one is...

Thank you all for making the second annual Resilience Week Virginia so wonderful! Many of the events are still available to view if you missed them, and the website will remain available as a resource. May 1st marked the beginning of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a moment to reflect on and celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of AAPI communities. Read more about taking on myths and uncovering resilience during this month . AAPI faculty and staff at UCLA...

“If we do not transform our pain, we will most assuredly transmit it” Richard Rohr “If your voice held no power, they wouldn’t try to silence you.” - unknown “The real question is not whether life exists after death. The real question is whether you are alive before death.” - Osho

“The most important thing you can do with your children is play with them!” said Dr. Bruce Perry, noted child psychiatrist and author. He was answering the question, “How do we prepare our children to go back to school next fall?” Perry, a brain expert specializing in how children are impacted by trauma, gave a presentation on his neuro-sequential model of brain development to more than 800 people at an Austin Ed Fund event Monday evening. The co-author, with Oprah Winfrey, of the new book...

Through the ACEs study, we know how trauma can manifest for generations. Navigating cultural stigmas attached to mental health can increase shame and frustration while on your path towards healing. Our friends at ACEs Early Childhood Education posted this wonderful resource for a few upcoming webinars exploring wellness through a cultural lens. Click here to register for one of the two upcoming timeslots hosted through the La Maida Project on 5/18 and 5/20!

[Editor's note: Dr. Harise Stein at Stanford University edits a web site — abuseresearch.info — that focuses on the health effects of abuse, and includes research articles on ACEs. Every month, she posts the summaries of the abstracts and links to research articles that address only ACEs. Thank you, Harise!! -- Jane Stevens] Jackson DB, Testa A, Vaughn MG. Adverse Childhood Experiences and School Readiness Among Preschool-Aged Children. J Pediatr. 2021 Mar;230:191-197 PMID: 33242472 From a...

Whether it’s racial profiling at traffic stops or microaggressions at work, racism by any measure can cause toxic stress. That causal relationship and how it leads to a greater burden of ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) among communities of color was the subject of a webinar on April 28 entitled “ Racism and Discrimination as Risk Factors for Toxic Stress ,” sponsored by the California Surgeon General’s Office and the ACEs Aware Initiative. “I can't think of a more important conversation...