“The early years of childhood are the foundation for everything else that happens in life. ”

Chattanooga 2.0 Executive Director, Jared Bigham, and many other coalition members were featured in WTCI’s Explore Health segment on ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), the negative impact they have on our community, and solutions to combat them.

ACEs are traumatic experiences, such as abuse, neglect, poverty, or family dysfunction, which ultimately hinder a child’s transition to healthy adulthood and directly or indirectly go on to affect each and every one of us. These toxic stress experiences can follow a person throughout their life and negatively manifest in a multitude of ways, including educational achievement, physical well-being, public safety, and employment opportunities. ACEs touch every aspect of life and all parts of our community.

To watch the full episode and listen to Dr. Bruce Perry explain how healthy relationships with an adult can serve as a buffer against adversity, watch the video below.

Link:

https://www.pbs.org/video/adverse-childhood-experiences-ezewgc/