The St. Louis County Family Services Collaborative brings service systems together to coordinate and integrate resources and services for children, youth, and families.
Resources & Links: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)
ACEs is the term given to describe all types of abuse, neglect, and other traumatic experiences that occur to individuals under the age of 18. The landmark Kaiser ACE Study examined the relationship between these experiences during childhood and reduced health and well-being later in life.
Simply put, our childhood experiences have a tremendous, lifelong impact on our health and the quality of our lives. The ACE Study showed dramatic links between adverse childhood experiences and risky behavior, psychological issues, serious illness and the leading causes of death. - vedtoviolence.cdc.gov
WEBSITES & REPORTS
Adverse Childhood Experiences in St. Louis County-
Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, are stressful or traumatic events that can impact a child’s development and long-term health. Data from the 2025 Minnesota Student Survey shows that many youth in St. Louis County are experiencing significant challenges at home.
The most commonly reported experiences include living with someone struggling with mental health (25%), having a parent or guardian who has been incarcerated (22%), and experiencing verbal abuse (14%). Other experiences, including physical abuse, exposure to substance misuse, and witnessing domestic violence, continue to affect a meaningful number of youth.
While these experiences are common, they are also preventable and can be buffered by strong relationships, supportive environments, and connected communities. Across St. Louis County, partners are working together to build resilience and ensure all children have the opportunity to thrive.
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VIDEOS
- How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime (Nadine Burke 2015)
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- Resilience: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hope (2017)
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- ReMoved Part 1 (2014)
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- Remember My Story - ReMoved Part 2 (2015)
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- First Impressions: Exposures to Violence and a Child's Developing Brain (2011)
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