Why Positive Childhood Experiences Matter: A Hope-Informed Approach to ACEs
We talk a lot about what hurts. We have entire systems built around identifying trauma, screening for it, diagnosing it, treating it. Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, have become a cornerstone of trauma-informed care. And they should be. The science is clear that childhood adversity leaves a mark.
But here’s the part we sometimes forget. People aren’t just shaped by what went wrong. We are also shaped by what went right.
That’s where Positive Childhood Experiences, or PCEs, come in. These are the moments, relationships, and routines that help children feel safe, connected, and capable. And the research shows they matter just as much—if not more—than the adverse ones.
The ACEs We Know
By now, most helpers have heard about the original ACE study. Abuse. Neglect. A household shaped by violence, addiction, or instability. These early experiences can influence nearly every domain of adult life. People with higher ACE scores are more likely to struggle with depression, chronic disease, substance use, and even early death.
It’s heavy. And important. But it’s not the full story.
If we only measure what went wrong, we risk painting people as problems to be fixed. We miss their strengths. We miss their capacity for growth. And we overlook the experiences that have kept them afloat.
The Power of Positive Childhood Experiences
In 2019, a large study published in JAMA Pediatrics offered a hopeful addition to the ACEs conversation. Researchers found that Positive Childhood Experiences significantly reduce the risk of mental health struggles in adulthood—even for those who experienced high levels of adversity.
These PCEs aren’t grand interventions. They’re everyday experiences that build connection and trust. The original seven identified include:
Being able to talk with family about feelings
Feeling that family stood by them during difficult times
Enjoying participation in community traditions
Feeling a sense of belonging in high school
Feeling supported by friends
Having at least two non-parent adults who genuinely cared
Feeling safe and protected by an adult at home
These may seem small, but their impact is big. Adults who reported 6 or more PCEs were over 70 percent less likely to experience depression and poor mental health compared to those with only 0 to 2. They were over three times more likely to report receiving the emotional support they needed. Even when ACE scores were high, the presence of PCEs acted like a buffer.
This doesn’t erase trauma. But it reminds us that healing is possible. That we’re not just the sum of our hard times. That strength, safety, and support can rewire the story.
Why This Matters for Helpers
Whether you’re a social worker, teacher, nurse, advocate, or community volunteer, you’re working with people who carry both pain and potential. Knowing about ACEs helps us understand where someone’s coming from. Knowing about PCEs helps us see where they could go.
But here’s something we don’t talk about enough. Helpers have histories too.
Many of us come to this work because we know what it’s like to hurt. And sometimes, we forget to ask ourselves the same questions we ask others. Did I have someone I could talk to growing up? Was I ever truly seen? Did anyone protect me when things got hard?
When we explore our own PCEs—what we had, what we missed, what we’ve tried to build—it gives us a deeper well of empathy. It makes space for healing. Not just for the people we serve, but for us too.
How to Build PCEs Into Your Work
Creating positive experiences doesn’t require more credentials or a bigger budget. It starts with intention. Here are a few ways to bring PCEs to life in your organization, classroom, or care setting.
1. Normalize talking about feelings
Whether you’re leading a team or teaching second graders, model and encourage conversations about emotions. Create regular moments for check-ins, journaling, or storytelling. Make it okay to not be okay—and okay to share when things are going well.
2. Be the caring adult who sticks around
Consistency matters. Whether you're a mentor, coach, or case manager, showing up reliably builds trust. Let people know you believe in them, not just when they succeed, but when they’re struggling too.
3. Celebrate community traditions
Help people connect to rituals that create identity and meaning. This might mean reviving school-wide events, honoring cultural practices, or creating new team traditions that signal belonging and shared purpose.
4. Foster belonging in institutions
If you’re in a school or workplace, look at who feels connected—and who doesn’t. Build inclusive practices that help every person feel like they matter. That might mean more inclusive curriculum, peer-led groups, mentorship programs, or simply learning and using people’s names.
5. Encourage peer support
Create spaces where people can connect across shared experiences. Support groups, affinity spaces, or collaborative team projects can strengthen social ties. These peer relationships aren’t fluff. They’re protective factors.
How to Build PCEs Into Community Life
You don’t need a job title to build PCEs. These principles apply in neighborhoods, faith communities, mutual aid circles, and extended families.
Host community events that honor local culture and traditions
Look out for the kids who hover at the edges of the group
Talk to your own children about feelings and teach them to listen to others
Create intergenerational spaces where elders and youth both belong
Volunteer in schools, libraries, after-school programs, or anywhere kids are growing
Be a safe adult. Sometimes all it takes is one steady person to change a life
How to Build PCEs Into Your Own Life
This work is not just outward facing. We all carry inner children who still need care. Helpers, especially, benefit from practicing the same tools they give others.
Think about your own PCEs. What were they? Who helped create them?
If you didn’t experience many, what are you doing now to build them in adulthood?
Who are your non-parent adults—now?
What traditions bring you comfort or meaning? Can you bring those into your daily life?
Where do you feel safe? How can you create more spaces like that for yourself?
Reflection Questions
Which PCEs are already strong in your organization or life? Which are missing or underdeveloped?
What could you do this month to increase just one PCE in the life of someone else?
How might thinking through a PACEs lens shift your approach to burnout, supervision, or staff development?
How would your team or community benefit from naming and investing in PCEs intentionally?
Want to Dive Deeper?
You don’t have to figure this out alone. At The Helping Academy, we offer PACEs Workshops designed for organizations, communities, and individual professionals. Our sessions break down the research, provide real-world examples, and walk you through how to implement these ideas in a sustainable way.
If you’re ready to:
Strengthen your team’s ability to support kids and families
Build resilience in the face of adversity
Cultivate cultures of connection across schools, nonprofits, and neighborhoods
We’re ready to work with you.
Bring a PACEs workshop to your organization or community.
Or check our upcoming events to attend a session yourself.
You’ll leave with more than insight. You’ll leave with tools.
Because trauma-informed work should be hope-informed too.
And the story of childhood doesn’t end with what went wrong. It continues with what we build together.
