Preventing ACEs can help children and adults thrive and potentially:
Lower risk for conditions like depression, asthma, cancer and diabetes in adulthood. Reduce risky behaviors like smoking and heavy drinking. Improve education and employment potential. And STOP ACEs from being passed from one generation to the next.
Raising awareness about ACEs can help:
Individual and Family Protective Factors
Create a safe, stable, and nurturing relationship, meaning, children have a consistent family life where they are safe, taken care of, and supported.
Positive friendship and peer networks.
Do well in school.
Children who have caring adults outside the family who serve as mentors/role models.
Engage in fun, positive activities together.
Encourage the importance of school for children.
Community Protective Factors
Access to economic and financial help.
Access to medical care and mental health services.
Access to safe, stable housing.
Access to nurturing and safe childcare.
Access to high-quality preschool.
Access to safe, engaging after school programs and activities.
Families that can meet basic needs of food, shelter, and health services for children.
Caregivers whom have steady employment.
Strong social support networks and positive relationships with the people around them.
Families where caregivers engage in parental monitoring, supervision, and consistent enforcement of rules.
Work through conflicts peacefully.
Help children work through their problems.
Work opportunities with family-friendly policies.
Strong partnerships between the community and business, health care, government, and other sectors.
Where residents feel connected to each other and are involved in the community.
Communities where violence is not tolerated or accepted.
Information from www.cdc.gov
How to Help Prevent ACEs
The good news is that ACEs are preventable. By implementing ACE prevention strategies
and acting quickly when an ACE happens, communities can help all children and youth reach their full potential.
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Community organizations such as faith-based and youth-serving organizations can promote policies that support families facing financial problems or help parents balance work and family responsibilities, which reduce stress and allow parents to meet children’s basic needs. Examples include:
Policies that support employers offering paid time off to care for a newborn or family member
Policies that provide families assistance with childcare costs and healthy nutrition
Providing income or child tax credits for working fmailies
Offering flexible and consistent work schedules
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Encourage community organizations such as you-serving and faith-based organizations, coaches, and caregivers to promote non-violent attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Examples include:
Supporting parents and positive parenting practices
Encouraging people to speak up when they see violence
Involving men and boys in prevention efforts
Educating parents and caregivers that it’s okay to ask for help
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Involved parents, strong preschool programs, and good quality childcare get children started on the right foot to help them succeed later. youth-serving and faith-based organizations can contribute to this as well. Examples include:
Getting caregivers involved in early learning programs
Ensuring childcare facilities as faith-based or youth-serving organization are licensed and accredited
Helping improve access to affordable, high-quality childcare and preschool programs
Offering in-home support and training in child health and development
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Children and caregivers can both learn how to create healthy relationships and manage their emotions. Teens, while participating in faith-based or youth organizations, can learn about safe dating. Examples include:
Teaching children and youth how to handle conflict(s), negative feelings, and peer pressures
Offering programs that teach skills for developing healthy, non-violent dating and peer relationships
Teaching healthy parenting skills to parents and caregivers
Helping parents or caregivers learn ways to support their children and set a good example with their behaviors
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Community organizations connect young people with positive role models and provide activities for young people to learn leadership and other new skills. Communities can help young people grow and succeed at school and in life. Examples of ways organizations can connect youth to caring adults and activities include:
Enrolling them in school or community mentoring programs
Getting them involved in after-school activities
Giving them opportunities to build confidence and practice leadership skills
Offering a training opportunity in the arts, media, sports, science, or technology
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When ACEs occur, community organizations, can offer services and support to reduce harms and help break the cycle of adversity. Examples include:
Learning more about ACEs and what support is available for kids, teens, and adults
Offering medical, legal, housing, and other crisis intervention services as needed
Providing therapy to reduce symptoms of depression, fear or anxiety, and behavior problems
Using family-centered treatment for substance misuse
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Creating safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments while youth participate in faith-based or youth organizations can prevent ACEs and help all children and youth reach their full health and life potential. Some of the many benefits of preventing ACEs include:
Healthier relationships
Better performance in school
Higher graduation rates
fewer mental health problems
Less substance use
Fewer behavior problems and less violence
fewer arrests for violent crimes
Less burden and cost from violence for everyone
Everyone can play an important role in supporting a better future for Isanti County’s kids, teens, and their families.
We Can Prevent ACEs: Video Credit to CDC.Gov