Blog

By Jane E. Brody, The New York Times, November 8, 2021 In Social Justice Parenting , Traci Baxley emphasizes the rewards of teaching our children to empathize with and care for others. The holidays will soon be upon us. What is likely to make you feel better — receiving a gift, or giving one to someone in need? Research is clear that, as the proverb goes, it’s better to give than to receive. “Doing kind things makes you feel better,” said Andrew Miles, a sociologist at the University of...

By Claudia Gold, MD, November 9, 2021 I recently watched the excruciatingly real documentary Jacinta about three generations of women in Maine whose lives are torn apart by the relentless grip of opioid addiction. The film brilliantly takes the viewer inside the profound love of mothers and daughters that prevails over the ravages of abandonment and loss. Soon after, I began watching the docudrama Dopesick that graphically reveals corporate greed beside the rampant destructive force of...

By Katie Schoenhoff and David Jordan, Kansas Reflector, November 9, 2021 A child’s earliest years have a lifelong impact. Nearly 80% of brain development occurs by age 3. Having a healthy start affects health, educational attainment and earnings throughout a person’s life. Toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) also have a major influence on a child’s overall development, affecting school readiness, student success, physical and mental health, and other factors, including the...

Please join us for a new series entitled: Trauma-Informed Criminal Justice. This monthly virtual Zoom series will feature conversations facilitated by Porter Jennings-McGarity, PACEs Connection’s criminal justice consultant, with special guests to discuss the need for trauma-informed criminal justice system reform. Using a PACEs-science lens, this series will examine the relationship between trauma and the criminal justice system, what needs changing, and strategies being used in this area...

From First Nations Development Institute, November 2021 With the support of the Keepseagle endowment, First Nations will establish a Breastfeeding and First Foods Grant that reinforces Native traditional food systems, supports producers/practitioners of traditional food systems, and communicates the value of traditional foods in a Tribal food system. The Breastfeeding and First Foods Grant aims to support communities and programs focused on increasing access to first foods and supporting...

By Darcia F. Narvaez, Psychology Today, November 7, 2021 A ten-year longitudinal study conducted by our lab at the University of Notre Dame has been examining the the human species’ developmental system for raising the young, what we call the evolved nest (evolved developmental niche; EDN). Most of the components of the EDN have mammalian roots more than 75 million years old. They helped our ancestors adapt (survive, thrive and reproduce, over generations outcompeting rivals without the...

Growing up, the kinds of toys you play with can make all the difference. When I was a child, I always felt like the way I looked was wrong because there were no dolls, cartoon characters, or actresses that looked like me. Thankfully, things are changing. Bigger companies like Mattel are now producing dolls in different shapes, genders, and skin tones. But gaps in the market still exist, especially for kids with special needs, physical disabilities, and skin disorders. That's where Amy...

By Darby Saxbe and Sofia Cardenas, The New York Times, November 8, 2021 After President Biden left paid family leave out of his Build Back Better Act last month, a familiar marshaling of forces took place. Women’s groups and female leaders protested. Senator Patty Murray of Washington said Democrats should not “tell all the women in this country that they can’t have paid leave.” Democratic leaders, well aware that women are the base of the party, have restored four weeks of family leave, at...

This is an updated version of the popular hand-out created and shared by the Community & Family Services Division at the Spokane (WA) Regional Health District. The original version has been downloaded thousands and thousands of times and has been used by both individuals and organizations. The updated flyer can be downloaded, distributed, and used freely. Please share widely! It is available in the following languages: English Spanish Arabic Dari Farsi Family Hui, a Program of Lead for...

“Signal for Help” is a simple one-handed sign someone can use on a video call. It can help a person silently show they need help and want someone to check in with them in a safe way. There’s ample evidence that disaster situations can lead to a surge in gender-based violence. Public health directives on home isolation might increase danger and risk for people in abusive relationships. The Signal for Help is a tool that may help some people, some of the time. Some people do not have the...

We all have inner strengths and resilience that can help us deal with challenges and stress. To help us manage stress, PACEs Connection and ACEs Aware created a handout based on seven evidence-based stress busters , as described in the Roadmap for Resilience: The California Surgeon General’s Report on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Toxic Stress, and Health . These interventions can help reduce stress, improve health, and build resilience. Please share widely! The handout is available in the...

By Jesse Bedayn, Cal Matters, November 2, 2021 A s president of a San Mateo County school board, Maybelle Manio had the privilege of delivering some lighthearted remarks at her son Jake Cruz’s 8th grade graduation. “Today is a celebration. Today is an accomplishment,” she said during the ceremony earlier this year. “Today is a good day to ask for some money.” The crowd laughed. When Manio returned home, she found a white piece of paper labeled “Eviction Notice” tacked to her door. She had 15...