New Jersey Funders ACES Collaborative

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Opportunities to Prevent, Protect Against, and Heal from the Effects of ACEs in New Jersey details the challenges New Jersey faces in addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and calls for a coordinated statewide response to mitigate their lasting effects on children’s health and well-being.  The report includes information on:

• ACEs – defined as stressful or traumatic events, which include abuse, neglect, parental incarceration, domestic violence, household mental illness, household substance misuse, and parental separation or divorce. These experiences and the impact of toxic stress on children can profoundly affect the development of the brain and cause lifelong harm to children’s physical, mental, and emotional health.
• Prevention – ACEs can be prevented, and when they do occur, concrete steps can be taken to help children heal. Healthy parent-child relationships, or other supportive relationships, can serve as a protective buffer, and help children foster resilience and thrive.
• Five Areas of Opportunities – the report identifies five Areas of Opportunity for further investigation and action to inform a strategy to help prevent, protect against, and heal from the effects of ACEs in New Jersey:
  • support parents and caregivers (family members and others involved in the day-to-day care of children)
  • provide training and professional development in trauma-informed care
  • promote community awareness of ACEs
  • advance policies and practices that help children and families thrive
  • collect, analyze, and share data and findings from research and practice