TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, First Lady Tammy Murphy, and New Jersey Department of Children and Families Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer today launched New Jersey’s first Adverse Childhood Experiences Action Plan, a comprehensive statewide strategy to prevent and reduce childhood trauma and adversity. The action plan outlines several initiatives to identify, coordinate, and advance programs and services across state government to reduce and prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that negatively impact the developing brain and lead to lifelong social, physical, emotional, and economic challenges.

The ACEs Action Plan was shaped in partnership with New Jersey families, community and legislative leaders, health care professionals, and the NJ ACEs Collaborative, which includes the Department of Children and Families, Burke Foundation, The Nicholson Foundation, and Turrell Fund, with support from the Center for Health Care Strategies. The Office of Resilience within the Department of Children and Families will lead the State’s work in raising awareness and engaging communities in ACEs education.

“Building a stronger and fairer New Jersey for our families has been a top priority of my Administration,” said Governor Murphy. “This statewide strategy creates groundbreaking solutions to deal with issues that plague our children, such as the compounded effects of adverse childhood experiences. With this plan, New Jersey will become a leader in tackling adverse childhood experiences and break the cycle of trauma before it manifests into negative health outcomes.”

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