DeLauro Announces Nearly $1.5M for CT Office of Early Childhood to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences

NEW HAVEN, CT —Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) Chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced that the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood was chosen as one of four recipients to receive nearly $1.5 million over three years to measure, track, and prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood is slated to receive $499,381 annually through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control to enhance or build infrastructure for the statewide collection, analysis, and application of ACE data that will be used to formulate and implement strategies to prevent ACEs.

Examples of ACEs include experiencing or witnessing neglect and having a family member attempt or die by suicide. They also include aspects of a child's environment that undermine their sense of safety and stability such as living in a household with substance misuse, mental health problems, instability due to parental separation, or household members being in jail or prison.

"I am proud to have secured first of its kind funding that will protect our children—the most dependent and vulnerable members of our society—from neglect, abuse, violence, and other traumatic, life-altering events," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "Adverse childhood experiences can lead to years of mental health problems and reduced opportunities. I am confident that this grant will allow the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood to become a national leader in the prevention of ACEs and help to place Connecticut's children on a path to lifelong fulfillment and growth."

As Chair of the House subcommittee that determines federal spending for the CDC, DeLauro's fiscal year 2020 spending bill provided the first federal funding dedicated to preventing ACEs.

"As we continue to battle a pandemic that has placed increasing pressures on millions across Connecticut and the country, this critical funding is more important now than ever," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "I will continue to fight for funding that will keep our children safe and provide them with the best possible environment to succeed. We can and we must do everything in our power to provide every child with a chance at a better life."