Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences
In this overview, learn about the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences on children's development.
Head Start programs support the mental health of children, families, and staff every day. Early childhood mental health is the same as social and emotional well-being. It is a child’s developing capacity to express and regulate emotions, form trusting relationships, explore, and learn—all in the cultural context of family and community. The mental health of children and the adults that care for them is essential for school readiness.
In this overview, learn about the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences on children's development.
Explore this collection of resources to learn how trauma affects young children and find strategies to reduce its effects in children and adults.
Ongoing research continues to show us how adversity and toxic stress in early childhood can have a negative impact throughout a person's life. These videos are designed to help them understand what toxic stress is, what it does to a person, and easy things to do to help prevent it.