Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur during childhood. However, ACEs do not dictate one’s future. Humans, especially children, are resilient. Resilience can be enhanced through positive childhood experiences (PCEs), which include nurturing experiences during childhood, such as supportive relationships with adults and peers.

New Jersey, like many states, is developing a statewide infrastructure for collecting data on ACEs and PCEs. This profile shares New Jersey’s efforts to understand the impact of ACEs and PCEs across the state through data, with the goal of designing initiatives that promote child health and well-being. The findings can inform other states looking to implement similar data-driven efforts.

The profile is a product of Preventing ACEs Across New Jersey: Data to Action, an initiative supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Under the initiative, the Center for Health Care Strategies and colleagues at the Camden Coalition are collaborating with partners across New Jersey, including government agencies and community-based organizations, to identify opportunities to prevent ACEs and promote PCEs through data monitoring and prevention strategies.

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Using Data to Better Understand Adverse and Positive Childhood Experiences in New Jersey

Understanding ACEs and PCEs is essential to develop strategies that better support children and prevent negative health outcomes later in life. New Jersey has worked to develop capacity to prevent and respond to ACEs while supporting PCEs. This blog post shares findings from recent analyses of ACE- and PCE-related data in New Jersey, and how these data are informing the state’s prevention strategies. Read more