Maintaining our commitment to science
The HOPE National Resource Center began with a commitment to science – to understanding how positive childhood experiences (PCEs) can shape our lives. From this commitment, our work with Phyllis Niolon, Elizabeth Swedo, and Maria Aslam at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) produced a landmark paper published in JAMA Open this past summer, Positive Childhood Experiences and Adult Health and Opportunity Outcomes in 4 US States. The findings were remarkable: Adults with more PCEs had less chronic disease, better mental and physical health, and even higher educational attainment and income. PCEs were associated with an annual economic value of $215.9 billion from reduced disease morbidity and mortality.
Connecting with our partners around the United States and beyond
The year began with a California statewide prevention meeting. After I gave the keynote presentation, attendees broke off into work groups for the rest of the day. Each group reflected on how the HOPE framework and the promotion of PCEs could help their work be more inclusive and effective.
Lori Clarke from San Diego State University’s Social Policy Institute and Sarah Glass from the County of San Diego’s Child and Family Well-being Department shared how the HOPE framework supports their work in moving child welfare from a mandated reporting of child abuse paradigm to a community support model, anchored by community-based family resource centers. Alicia Lieberman and her colleagues at University of California, San Francisco also now include the HOPE framework in their novel TRIADS approach to therapy.
Also in California, I attended a conference in Stockton, arranged by Annie Merrill. This was a day-long workshop for supervisors and managers at the County of San Diego’s Child and Family Well-being Department, with support for Casey Family programs.
My travels also took me to several conferences and meetings in North Carolina, Kentucky, Chicago, Washington DC, and Liverpool. I made wonderful connections at each stop. Each stop deepened my understanding of how the HOPE framework translates across different communities.
Creating a community of support now and into the new year
Unfortunately, this has been a difficult year for so many. When I spoke at the Cape Cod Children’s Place, reality hit home – families were afraid to send their children to childcare. We continue to support the human dignity of all children and their families.
This summer, we launched HOPE en Espanol that supports families in the U.S. and Latin America whose primary language is Spanish. In January, we will launch a new podcast, HOPEful conversations, which will explore the adaptation and adoption of the HOPE framework in many communities in the U.S. I will co-host this podcast with Baraka Floyd, MD from Stanford University. In each episode, we will talk with those whose work champions the needs of Black families and of parenting in marginalized communities in general.
Throughout this year, we have seen our network of Facilitators, Champions, and people who have joined us at workshops and conferences grow. With each new person practicing the HOPE framework, I am given a renewed sense of optimism as we enter the new year.
As we head into 2026, we want to thank everyone in our network and share our optimism as we – together – continue to discover, honor, and promote the strengths each of us brings to our work, and to the incredible privilege of working with parents across the world who love their children and help them thrive.
