Impact and Response
Age of Children Impacted
Extended ACEs exposure can result in toxic stress that interferes with
a child's brain
development
their ability to manage / regulate stress response
Toxic stress adversely impacts the child's ability to
- sleep
- pay attention
- make decisions
- learn
- manage behavior
- establish secure attachments
And potentially can result in
- increased risky behaviors (smoking, alcohol/drug use)
- poor academic achievement
- increased likelihood of chronic disease
Responding to Children and Youth
OVC funded 59 child/youth focused projects in 37 states beginning in 2018
Raising Awareness
- Child – Youth Victimization
- Disease of Addiction
- Youth-Driven & Family-Focus
- Culturally Responsive
- Advancing Trauma-Informed Practice and Evidence-Based Services
- Informed Policy Making
- Active Cross-Sector Partnering
- Data Informed Decision Making
Best, Promising and Innovative Work Underway
Throughout the United States, children and their families are feeling the impact of substance use. About 1 in 8 children ages 17 or younger reside in a home where at least one parent has a substance use disorder.
Learn more about the work that helps put children and families back on the path forward.
Popular Resources
The Suicide, Overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences Prevention Capacity Assessment Tool (SPACECAT) is designed for local, state, and territorial health agencies to better understand their capacity to address suicide, overdose, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
Statement sheet highlighting school-based prevention and intervention programs.
Toolkit for hospital teams working with NAS.
What's Happening?
Thursday, March 16, 2023
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP) Opioid Affected Youth Initiative (OAYI) is accepting applications for seats on a new Youth Advisory Board. Board membership is open to young adults ages 18–24 who want to help support youth and families affected by opioids and...
Friday, March 3, 2023
The purpose of this program is to provide comprehensive services for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorders across the continuum of residential settings that support and sustain recovery. As a family-centered program, services also extend to family members and the minor...
Monday, February 27, 2023
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism are gearing up for National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW) 2023 to be held March 20-26. NIDA’s flagship health education observance, is held in partnership with the National Institute on...
Our Partners and Other Supporters
For a list of all of our partners and supporters visit Our Supporters page.