Playful parenting

Playful parenting: Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy (P.A.C.E)

ARC Adoption’s playful parenting course is based on a therapeutic model of parenting developed by American psychologist Dan Hughes.

His Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy (P.A.C.E) model is internationally recognised and promoted across a wide range of agencies working in the fields of Adoption and Fostering.

At ARC Adoption all adopters are invited to attend a one-day introductory course exploring P.A.C.E, which will introduce ideas about styles of parenting that can best help children recover and repair from trauma and relationship difficulties that they have experienced prior to joining their adoptive families.

Dan Hughes describes P.A.C.E as an ‘attitude’ maintained in parenting, (and other relationships), that supports children to feel safe and connected to their parents in ways that help them to develop a more positive sense of themselves, and a sense of security and trust in their relationship with other people. These components are fundamental in helping children to develop strong and secure attachments with their adoptive parents and other family members.

P.A.C.E stands for:

Playfulness - being spontaneous, in the moment, using a sing-song storytelling voice, learning to live and play in their worlds to de-fuse tension

Acceptance - telling children through words and importantly tone of voice, that you love and accept them, if not their behaviour, however angry or frustrated or annoyed or hyper they get.

Curiosity - avoiding judgement and being open to discovering why they feel that way, and being prepared to be influenced by what we hear. We step into their world for a moment, and dive deep to discover their truth.

Empathy - by matching their intensity, tone and pace, by opening our hearts to reflect their feelings, we assure them that we are listening, that we are doing our best to understand. We look to understand them.

Throughout the day participants are supported to consider what each of these approaches involves and how they can be incorporated into everyday life with their children and each other.

Over time and with supportive P.A.C.E parenting children can gain the skills necessary to better understand and regulate their emotions. This will in turn help parents and children to work together to enable children to modify and change any more difficult behaviours, resulting from disruptive and traumatic early life experiences, that children continue to display within their adoptive families.

This may, at first sound a bit daunting, but as with all training delivered by ARC Adoption, the training aims to be as relaxed and informal as possible. Feedback from adopters who have attended the P.A.C.E sessions have commented that they were an enjoyable experience and beneficial to them and their children.

The sessions are led by two qualified members of ARC Adoption’s Therapeutic Adoption Support Services (TASS) team. We don’t expect that after one day of training participants will feel totally confident about being able to parent with P.A.C.E. Rather the training is intended to introduce the concept of parenting with P.A.C.E.

Ongoing support from members of ARC Adoption’s Therapeutic Adoption Support Services team, together with further learning and development will be available to any parents wishing to develop their understanding of attachment issues and skills in parenting with P.A.C.E.

Upcoming dates for P.A.C.E. training are listed below:

20^thNovember 2021
29^th January 2021
19^th March 2022
21^st May 2022

ARC Adoption is hugely grateful to Emma Sutton http://nibblesandbubbles.co.uk/resources/pace-poster/ for allowing us to share this fantastic resource which visually illustrates Emma Sutton’s interpretations of the four principles of PACE. The illustration was created by Emma Sutton with input from clinical psychologist and renowned expert on P.A.C.E and therapeutic parenting, Kim Golding.

If you would like to find out more about the adoption training that you will receive at ARC Adoption or for more information about the adoption process, please call the team at ARC Adoption on 0191 516 6466 or click the button below to submit an enquiry and a member of the ARC Adoption team will contact you as soon as possible.

Adoption enquiry

Latest

Fostering for Adoption Workshop - Thursday 10th February 2022

ARC Adoption North East would like to invite their adopters to a Fostering for Adoption workshop. It outlines the key aspects of the Fostering for Adoption process and how it differs from mainstream adoption. Come and join the team to find out more.
Adopting Brothers and Sisters Workshop - Wednesday 9th February 2022

ARC Adoption North East would like to invite their families to a seminar around placing brothers and sisters to highlight and increase awareness of things to consider.
We Made a Wish - Digital Magazine

We Made a Wish was developed by adoptive mother to two girls, Suzy, and aims to raise awareness of adoption and share different experiences.
Information Event About Adoption – Thursday 3rd February 2022

Join us at our February online information event to find out more about adoption, the process and the outstanding support available to you from our experienced team.

Bonding through play

ARC Adoption North East likes to give adopters an insight into the principles of Theraplay® and how it can be used to build safe and secure attachments through having fun. Theraplay® is modelled on secure interactions between parents and children.

How adoption works

Adoption is a way of providing new families for children who cannot be looked after by their birth parents and need to belong to a new family.
How long does the UK adoption process take?
Matching panel

Once the family finding process is complete the match will need to be agreed formally by the adoption panel for the child’s agency. If approval is recommended by the adoption panel for the match, the child’s adoption agency decision maker then makes the final decision.
Fostering for adoption

At ARC Adoption North East are committed to exploring different routes to adoption. ARC Adoption offers an early permanence route, often referred to as fostering for adoption or foster to adopt. Fostering for adoption means that young children, usually babies, are placed at a young age with approved potential adopters who would also be approved temporary foster carers whilst the family court decides on the child’s future.
Initial visit

Following your initial enquiry, if you would like to progress with the adoption process a member of ARC Adoption North East’s team will visit you in your home. The initial visit will be very informal and take place at a date and time that is convenient for you and will last about two hours. It’s an opportunity to have your questions answered in more detail and help the team get to know you better.
Checks and references

Stage one of the adoption process begins after you have received some general information, an initial visit at your home and ARC Adoption North East are in receipt of your ‘registration of interest’ from you.
Finding the right child for you

Once you become an approved adopter, it’s time to start looking for the right child or children that will join your family.
LGBTQ+ Adopters

At ARC Adoption North East, we welcome enquiries and applications from everyone, including all members of the LGBT+ community.
Intercountry adoption

ARC Adoption North East is registered with Ofsted to provide inter-country adoption services
Contact us

At ARC Adoption North East we value your opinion. All compliments, comments and complaints are accepted and considered with the greatest respect. Your feedback is welcomed to help develop ARC Adoption North East’s services.