Blog

Hi Friends! We are moving our Better Normal- Education Upended series back to 12 pm PST every 2nd and 4th Thursday. Join us this Thursday via Zoom, 4/22, at 12pm PST. To register click here

Many people woke up Tuesday morning worrying about the verdict a jury would deliver in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, and agonizing over the possibility that yet again justice would be denied. That we would even consider that justice might be denied in such an egregious case in which dozens of people witnessed first-hand the murder of Floyd, and millions more watched his tragic and needless death on video says so very much about the state of justice in this...

Earth Day has blossomed into a month-long celebration in April focusing on getting outdoors, appreciating nature and coming together as a community all of which are important in our work as ACEs Aware grantees. Recently, “spending time in nature” was added to the list of ways to practice self-care in relation to Adverse Childhood Experiences. The idea behind the self-care practices is to regulate an overactive stress response which can be heightened due to exposure to ACEs and lead to toxic...

[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] Ma J, Lee SJ, Grogan-Kaylor A. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Spanking Have Similar Associations with Early Behavior. Problems. J Pediatr. 2021 Feb...

The Rev. Darrell Armstrong, pastor of the historic Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton, New Jersey, is an accomplished man. He graduated from Stanford University in public policy and went on to get his master’s degree in divinity studies at Princeton. As a former director in the New Jersey Department of Human Services, he was responsible for New Jersey’s statewide strategy for preventing child abuse and neglect. Armstrong has also worked as an entrepreneur, workshop facilitator, and radio host.

Looking for a gentle, supportive gathering of adults who are important to young children? Join us! We meet twice a month via Zoom (2nd and 4th Thursdays @ 7:30pm EST) and chat via keyboard on a safe, private platform whenever we want. Click for details → https://www.jodiwert.com/yes/community. A prompt for conversation = blog post(its) like this: @Adriana van Altvorst @Melissa McPheeters

When advocates gather (virtually) to commemorate ACEs Awareness Day on April 30, there will be lots to celebrate—most specifically, the inclusion of language about ACEs in the FY 21-22 New York State budget (see attached document for the link to the budget and ACEs text). It calls for mandated reporters to be educated about “ACEs, the importance of protective factors and the availability of services for children at risk for suffering from ACEs.” It also requires the Office of Child and...

Good morning PACE members, I hope you are safe and well today. I want to extend an invitation to you to our Baby Shower Briefing on May 5, 2021 at 11 a.m. so together we can Extend the Infant Supplement as a prenatal support for our youth! We will have a number of youth advocate speakers and members of the coalition speak to the issues. Will you join us for our Baby Shower Briefing for Expectant Youth in Care? Description: How does the pandemic impact expectant and parenting foster youth?

By Loren McCullough and Dr. Robert Sege, 4/20/21, positiveexperience.org/blog This blog continues our reflections on the results of a survey that the HOPE team, in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics , Prevent Child Abuse America , and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) , commissioned with YouGov.com in November of 2020, asking a national sample of parents and caregivers about their experiences with their children since March of 2020. The project is...

By Loren McCullough and Dr. Robert Sege, 4/20/21, positiveexperience.org/blog How do US parents and families cope with pandemic-related disturbances to their households? All across the country, family work and children’s regular way of life is topsy-turvy. The HOPE team, in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics , Prevent Child Abuse America , and with assistance and financial support from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) , sent a questionnaire to a...

This song can help save lives. I would like to share a work of art with the PACES Community. I am a child psychiatrist whose passion is transforming trauma and despair into creative resilience. Please take a listen to the song “Don’t Give Up.” I wrote the poem that became the lyric and collaborated with singer/songwriter Mia Stegner and producer Raymiah Jackson to create the song. It’s on soundcloud. If you like the song, as in it speaks to you with compassion, please leave a comment. If you...

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and the increase in news reports about allegations of sexual improprieties in Hollywood, the Hill and beyond has both angered and saddened me at times. But it’s been the victim blaming, shaming and questioning by my own family and friends that has triggered several revelations about my own experience of being sexually assaulted as a child. If you are interested in reading more, check out my post here . If you would rather be spared the heartache of yet...