You’ll hear PACE come up in nearly every conversation at Embrace. It shapes how we ask our foster carers to be with children, far more than a slogan or a training acronym. PACE is a way of being.
PACE stands for Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy. It was developed by Dr Dan Hughes as part of his Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP) framework, an attachment-focused approach to working with children who have experienced developmental trauma.
Playfulness
Finding humour in challenging moments. Not making fun of a child, but bringing lightness to a household that might otherwise feel heavy. Modelling that secure attachments include laughter.
Acceptance
Knowing that every child is more than their behaviours, more than their trauma history. Accepting their feelings even when you can’t accept their actions. Saying, with your whole self: I see you, you are welcome here.
Curiosity
Wondering instead of judging. When a child kicks off, the PACE-trained carer asks themselves what’s underneath, not what’s wrong with them. Curiosity is the antidote to reactive parenting.
Empathy
Understanding the feeling, even when you can’t fix the situation. Sitting with the child in their hard moment instead of trying to talk them out of it.
It sounds simple. It isn’t. PACE is a discipline. Our carers practice it in monthly Embrace Each Other groups, in 1:1 sessions with our therapist, and through every supervision visit. Over time, it stops being something you do and becomes who you are.
