A few months ago, the Australian organization, Adults Surviving Child Abuse, published a report that identified how much money the government and the private sector could be saving - $9.1 billion - by acknowledging and addressing child abuse and the repercussions on adults later in their lives. Recently Dr. Marcia Hall wrote an article for a newspaper in Oregon highlighting the projections Washington State has made about their potential savings if adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) research and programs are integrated into their systems - $55.9 million every 10 years.
We have the brain-science, our collective knowledge and expertise, and the countless stories and testimonials as to the impact of childhood trauma and the potential for healing and resilience. Dr. Nadine Burke Harris puts it simply in her TED Talk: "The science is clear: Early adversity dramatically affects health across a lifetime." However, this information could be coupled with a cost-benefit analysis of the impact of ACEs on individuals, families and communities, demonstrating how much money could be reallocated for prevention and treatment services. As the campaign trail begins for our next President in the U.S., maybe it is time that we continue to push forward on a national advocacy movement for trauma-informed policies and programs.
Comments (4)