WELCOME TO THE 21 DAY EQUITY CHALLENGE DAY 12!

ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACEs)

“To be young, gifted and black, 

Oh what a lovely precious dream 

To be young, gifted and black, 

Open your heart to what I mean.” 

-Nina Simone 

In order for children to meet developmental milestones, learn, grow, and lead productive lives, it is critical that they are healthy. 

  

Good social-emotional skills and mental health are key components of children’s healthy development. Poverty, trauma, and inadequate treatment are three factors that have been shown to have a sustained, negative impact on children’s social-emotional skills and mental health. Stressors external to the home, such as racism and discrimination, are community-level Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) – incidents that have the potential to dramatically disrupt a child’s ability to thrive. 

 

ACEs disproportionately impact children of color. In addition to experiencing trauma within our systems and environments, toxic stress can change a person’s genetic code, influencing how future generations respond to stress within their bodies and their risk of poor health outcomes. While trauma impacts all racial and socio-economic groups, groups that report higher rates of childhood trauma include adults of color, women, and those in poverty. 

  

In addition to addressing the systems and policies that negatively impact families, fostering connections can help disrupt the long-term impact of trauma. 

 

  

 

 

Today’s Challenge: Do one or more of the following

Watch

Watch this TEDx Talk The Human Need for Belonging by Amelia Franck Meyer to understand more about the critical role connection and relationship has in our lives.

Read

The Future of Healing: Shifting From Trauma Informed Care to Healing Centered Engagement by Shawn Ginwright, Ph.D., about a more holistic and culturally responsive approach to trauma and historical trauma.
Click Here

Watch

Watch We Can Prevent ACE's video from the Center for Disease Control about the role communities can play in preventing and mitigating ACEs.
Click Here

Read

ACEs can affect anybody, anywhere. Children experiencing adverse situations, and adults who experienced adversity when they were children, come from all walks of life. ACEs are not confined to any particular race, religion, socio-economic background, or nationality. Any child can experience the sustained toxic stress associated with untreated trauma and suffer negative mental and physical health effects.
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DAY 12 JOURNAL

TOMORROW'S TOPIC

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION