Trauma refers to a deeply stressful experience or its short and long-term impacts. Because exposure to trauma can cause a host of problems with lifelong consequences, early screening and intervention is essential. Child maltreatment can cause traumatic stress in some children, while others are more resilient and show few, if any, lasting effects. Widespread recognition of trauma's harmful impacts and the related consequences for children, families, and society has resulted in Federal, State, and local initiatives over the last decade to promote trauma-informed care. This issue brief released by Child Information Gateway outlines the essential components of a trauma-informed child welfare system and features examples from State and local programs that are incorporating trauma-informed practice.
You can access the issue brief here.