Despite growing awareness of the prevalence and devasting impact of adverse childhood experiences, our society has yet to take action to address these issues. North Carolina can lead the way
By Diana Fishbein and Maddy Jupina, Fayetteville Observer, January 12, 2025
As we step into 2025, it is imperative that we not let another year pass before addressing the ongoing challenges children face in North Carolina. Adverse childhood experiences— such as exposure to violence, parental addiction or living in poverty — pose significant threats to their development and future success. With a staggering 15% of children in the state experiencing two or more ACEs and over 400,000 living below the poverty line, the urgency of the situation cannot be overstated.
These hardships ripple through lifetimes, leading to poor academic performance, mental health struggles, addiction and even chronic illness, with the potential to affect future generations. Despite growing awareness of the prevalence and devasting impact of ACEs, our society has yet to take concerted action to address these issues.
Policies and programs can help transform children's lives
Policymakers tend to often overlook children as a distinct group driving their agendas, even though children constitute one of the largest and most vulnerable groups in the United States, cutting across all sociodemographic categories, with the highest rates of poverty, unmet needs, food insecurity and exposure to adversity.
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