This report presents evidence for HOPE (Health Outcomes of Positive Experiences) based on newly released, compelling data that reinforce the need to promote positive experiences for children and families in order to foster healthy childhood development despite the adversity common in so many families.
The data:
Balancing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) with HOPE contributes to a growing body of work—the Science of Thriving—that encourages us to better understand and support optimal child health and development.
To assist with getting the vast knowledge of positive childhood experiences into policies, practices, and systems to realize lasting change, investigators recommend in the report that efforts by pediatricians, early childhood educators, state and local governments move beyond screening and referral for problems, and enter into partnerships with parents to support them in raising their children.
Other recommendations include advancing a positive construct of health and the HOPE framework, and investing in science-aligned interventions that support positive parenting practices.
For more on positive childhood experiences: “Positive Childhood Experiences and Adult Mental and Relational Health in a Statewide Sample Associations Across Adverse Childhood Experiences Levels.”
Preventing, identifying, and responding to early adversity is one of the most impactful things we can do to improve our nation’s health and well-being. This brief seeks to work through framing challenges and offer guidance on positioning, emphasis, and explanation.
Listen to Dr. Melissa Merrick discuss the CDC’s ACEs/vital signs report and find useful resources such as talking points, sample social media posts, and frequently asked questions.
This report addresses the continued findings and research from the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACES) Study, which has identified robust associations between a child experiencing early trauma and a wide array of poor health, economic, and life outcomes.
