I am often asked, “What are the benefits of ACEs prevention work being data-driven, cross-sector and systemic?” I also hear, “Isn’t raising awareness of ACEs enough?”  These are important questions.

From our work in child welfare we know that many parents struggle to gain access to behavioral health care, safe shelter and living wage jobs. Imagine twenty-year-old single parent Deirdre with her three-year-old son Ethan. She grew up experiencing emotional trauma and faces huge challenges. She could be lacking access to all the services that make a family strong: home visitation and respite programs, early childhood learning programs, youth mentors, transportation and family-centered schools. When we say, "ACEs Prevention" we mean implementing strategies that are cross-sector and systemic—building the capacity of ten vital services to meet local needs in a community.

We live in a nation where we must commit to addressing the basic survival needs of families, as well as providing those services that help parents and children thrive. Our data-driven work focuses on increasing the quantity and quality of critical services in our most vulnerable communities. A data-driven approach means our work is measurable.

ACEs prevention means that we won't leave our most vulnerable moms, dads and kids behind. Raising awareness is a vital part of our work--a starting point that leads to the long-term work of community capacity-building.  We have much important work ahead requiring both compassion and courage. Join us.