Contact:
Ivana Muszkiewicz, MPH, Research Specialist, NCIOM
Ivana_susic@nciom.org
With 4 out of 10 children in North Carolina experiencing at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), urgent action is needed to protect the well-being of children and families. A newly released report from North Carolina's Essentials for Childhood Update Committee responds to this challenge by identifying strategic actions needed to prevent child maltreatment and other ACEs. The comprehensive report provides 15 recommendations and 43 actionable strategies designed to strengthen systems, promote early intervention, and ensure safe, stable, and nurturing environments for children across the state.
The report emphasizes the need for collaboration among state agencies, healthcare providers, philanthropic organizations, and community partners to implement sustainable solutions. Recommendations include increasing strategic investments in early screening, trauma-informed practices, and improved family support systems. Addressing barriers such as low Medicaid reimbursement rates, administrative burdens, and workforce shortages are also highlighted as critical steps toward meaningful progress.
Additional recommendations include enhancing child care subsidies to ensure a larger portion of eligible families receive subsidy payments, enhancing opportunities for cross-sector collaboration to improve quality of care and outcomes for parents or caregivers and their young children, and promoting the incorporation of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) throughout state and local initiatives.
“The Update Committee on Essentials for Childhood underscores the alignment between healthy, stable environments for the nurturing and development of children and the economic success of our state,” said Meredith Archie, president of the NC Chamber Foundation and senior vice president of external affairs for the NC Chamber. “The recommendations and opportunities in this report will help position North Carolina families to thrive, and therefore, North Carolina’s economy to continue to compete on the global stage.”
Committee representatives underscored the urgency of implementing these recommendations to foster resilient communities, healthier families, and better long-term outcomes for all children. The 35 committee members worked together to draw on research, data, and lived experience across multiple sectors—including public health, education, child welfare, early childhood, and community organizations—to ensure the recommendations were evidence-based and grounded in the realities facing North Carolina families. Their collaborative efforts reflect a shared commitment to building a coordinated, statewide response.
Policymakers, stakeholders, and community leaders are urged to use the report as a blueprint to guide immediate and impactful action.
Sharon Hirsch, President & CEO of Positive Childhood Alliance and co-chair of the update committee, said, “Since the initial Essentials for Childhood recommendations were released, research has expanded our understanding of the impact of childhood adversity and positive experiences. North Carolina has made progress – and still has important work to do to better support families so that children can thrive in safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments. This update report reflects the strong foundation that North Carolina is building upon to strengthen the understanding about what families need for children to thrive, to create a strong infrastructure and data systems, and to support the workforce to create a strong ecosystem of support for families so that children can thrive with positive experiences and hope for the future.”
The project was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It was completed in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health.
For a full copy of the report, visit our publications page.
For more information about current NCIOM task forces and projects, visit our current projects page.
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The North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) is forward-looking and focused on solutions. The organization was founded in 1983 by the North Carolina General Assembly to serve as a source of non-partisan information and analysis to promote effective health policies focused on improving the health and well-being of all North Carolinians. Learn more at nciom.org.