For Immediate Release
May 10, 2018
Contact: Katherine Levasseur
Office of the Speaker of the House
(802) 828-2245
HOUSE GIVES FINAL APPROVAL TO ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES BILL
The Vermont House today gave final approval to S.261, a bill relating to mitigating trauma and toxic stress during childhood by strengthening child and family resilience.
“The legislature has continuously worked to provide families in Vermont with the most effective services to combat hardships and provide children a foundation for a strong, healthy future,” said House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-South Hero). “This bill creates a collective system that will efficiently provide services that build resilience within families to reduce the emotional and financial costs associated with childhood trauma and toxic stress.”
“Current brain and social sciences have shed light on the impact of childhood adversity and toxic stress on healthy child development,” added Representative Ann Pugh (D-South Burlington). “Addressing this is a statewide issue. This bill will help Vermont to better coordinate and evaluate our efforts to build resilience in children.”
“Generational poverty, addiction, homelessness and incarceration continue to plague our children and families,” said House Majority Leader Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington). “In too many cases the root cause of these problems is childhood trauma. We have excellent preventative services in Vermont, this bill builds on that work to provide better coordination and ensure the broadest reach to address childhood adversity across the state. Investing in our children means investing in the future of Vermont families. We need a Vermont that works for all of us, and this bill ensures the state is working for our youngest and most vulnerable.”
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