Former PACEs Connection employees Dana Brown (L) with Vincent Felitti, MD, co-author of the 1998 Adverse Childhood Experiences study, and Carey Sipp (R) in San Diego in January, 2024. The last few months have been quite challenging, but we pushed, persevered, and didn’t give up hope. The “we” is Carey Sipp and Dana Brown. We were long-time staff members of PACEs Connection determined to reinstate the website and the resources and information we provide to communities after the platform went...

Andrew Newman’s book, A Little Light (illustrated by Rosie Balyuzi), offers a profound reminder of the importance of keeping keiki (children) at the center of our work. This can be challenging in a system often fragmented by billing, departmental divides, grant constraints, and the equity barriers faced by families in rural and remote communities. One book page reads, “They often looked at parts and forgot about the whole.” This is a powerful reflection for anyone caring for a child,...

An article written by Florence Byrd and medically reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD., supports that in the early years, your preschooler is a vibrant, emotional explorer discovering their personality. Emotional Development in Preschool points out that children ages three and four are deeply immersed in a world of rapidly changing emotions and burgeoning independence. They express joy and sadness intensely, often with laughter or tears. With limited impulse control, they act on their feelings,...

Aloha, we are excited to announce that the second annual “Kahewai Live” conference is scheduled for September 20, 2024, at the Nani Mau Gardens . The conference is sponsored by the YWCA of Hawaiʻi Island , the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health , and the Hawaiʻi Community Foundationʻs Promising Minds Program . The Kahewai Conference began as a virtual gathering for 0-5 providers to provide trauma-informed care professional development and trauma-responsive strategies. In recent years, we...