The Building Blocks of HOPE – Block #1: Relationships Being in nurturing, supportive relationships are critical for children to develop into healthy, resilient adults. This concept forms the first of the 4 Building Blocks of HOPE. The first of these…
How can we reduce ACEs and toxic stress during the COVID-19 pandemic? Many of us are concerned that increased stress might increase the risk for ACEs. For example, most child abuse happens when adults reach their breaking point. However, we are…
Another week into the pandemic, we are slowly adjusting to a new reality. We are all wondering how long precautions and closures will last. This blog focuses on one of the building blocks of HOPE – safe, stable, and equitable…
Last week, I wrote a brief blog post about a HOPE-informed approach to the restrictions from COVID-19. Since then, I’ve been thinking about one of the building blocks of HOPE: engagement. As children grow and develop, engaging with the larger…
This has been quite a week, and we are now facing major disruptions in our own family lives. There is no doubt that the events of this winter and spring will be memorable for children. In that spirit, here are…
Written by Corey B. Best, consultant and professional guide, Birth Parent National Network, for the Children’s Bureau Express. HOPE is fortunate and grateful to have Corey as a member of its National Advisory Board. Re-posted here with his permission. When…
As described in Dina’s recent blog, our team just returned from California. The issue of health equity arose in our discussions; this blog addresses how we think about HOPE and equity. HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) arises from a…
On January 1, 2020, California launched a first of its kind program to combat the ill effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), the ACES Aware Initiatives spearheaded by California Surgeon General Nadine Burke Harris, MD. Through this program, the state…
Dr. James Mercy, Director of the Division of Violence Prevention in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), invited the HOPE team to visit the CDC on January 29,…
It is now 2020, and I’m tempted to make jokes about having “20/20 vision” for the future. Let’s pass up those jokes, and concentrate a little bit of what we learned in the past year. Across the United States, those of us…