The research behind the mission.
Sources we read, with plain notes on what each one does and does not show. Links go to the original papers and reports.
Why it matters
The ACE Study (Felitti et al., 1998)
Of more than 9,500 adults, those with four or more adverse childhood experiences had 4 to 12 times the odds of alcoholism, drug abuse, depression and suicide attempts, compared with people who had none.
ACEs and premature death (Brown et al., 2009)
Among people who died during the follow-up, those with six or more ACEs died at 60.6 on average, compared with 79.1 for people with none, a gap the authors call nearly 20 years. The study shows association, not proof of cause.
How common ACEs are (2023 report)
63.9% of U.S. adults reported at least one ACE and 28.4% grew up through parental separation or divorce, from 2011 to 2020 survey data.
What protects children
Preventing Childhood Toxic Stress: Partnering With Families and Communities to Promote Relational Health (2021)
Policy statement: safe, stable, nurturing relationships buffer childhood adversity and should guide prevention.
Toxic stress and serve and return
Prolonged stress without supportive relationships disrupts brain development. Back-and-forth interaction with a caring adult builds it.
Working Paper 13: the foundations of resilience (2015)
Children who do well despite serious hardship have had at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive adult.
What works for divorcing families
New Beginnings Program
A 10-session program for divorced and separating parents, tested in three randomized trials. In one trial of 240 families followed for 15 years, young adults whose mothers took the program had fewer anxiety and depression diagnoses. In a later community trial, benefits were clearer for non-Hispanic White families than for Hispanic families.
Court-affiliated divorce education (Fackrell et al., 2011)
A meta-analysis of 19 studies found a moderate positive effect for court-affiliated parent education programs (d = .39). The authors note important methodological limits.
Child-Parent Psychotherapy
A relationship-based treatment for young children exposed to trauma, tested in randomized trials including preschoolers exposed to violence between parents.
Sources are linked for reference only. Citation does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by the institutions named.