This two-minute video details the impact of toxic stress on brain development. It is part of a three-part series produced in 2011 by the Harvard Center on the Developing Child and the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child.

In this presentation, Stephanie M. Jones, Marie and Max Kargman Associate Professor in Human Development and Urban Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, describes a new intervention that links the science of brain development with supports for adults and children. The intervention focuses on building executive function skills in children, teachers, and parents by interrupting the stress cycle and putting the front of the brain back in control.

This factsheet discusses the nature of trauma, abuse, and neglect, as well as the effects of trauma on children and youth. Additionally, it suggests ways to help a child who has experienced trauma. Parents or foster parents who do not understand the effects of trauma may misinterpret their child’s behavior, and attempts to address troubling behavior caused by trauma may be ineffective or even harmful. By understanding trauma, parents and foster parents can help support a child’s healing, the parent-child relationship, and their family as a whole.

The West Coast Poverty Center released a new Poverty Research Flash, highlighting new research on the causes, consequences, and effective policy recommendations to poverty. This issue focuses on intra-year household income dynamics and adolescent school behaviors. The researchers speculated that parental stress resulting from income instability may translate into less effective parenting, which can lead to children’s declining school performance and engagement.

This report from the Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation (OPRE) provides a comprehensive framework for understanding self-regulation in context, using a theoretical model that reflects the influence of biology, caregiving, and the environment on the development of self-regulation. It is part of a four-part series that also discusses topics such as stress as related to toxic stress, self-regulation in the context of youth development, and implications for programs and practice.

This resource from the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services summarizes findings and evidence from various reviews of studies and program evaluations to help stakeholders address childhood exposure to violence and improve outcomes for children, families, and communities.

This guide was created by the Children's Bureau to help caseworkers, foster parents, and other stakeholders learn about trauma experienced by youth in foster care. Additionally, the guide includes treatment options, including approaches other than medication, and strategies for seeking help for foster youth.

This issue of Future of Children focuses on two-generation approaches to improving children’s development. A child’s home environment can impact stress, education, health, income, employment, and more throughout his or her life. Two-generation programs serve parents and children simultaneously to improve family wellbeing. The articles within this journal emphasize current programs and identify the many benefits of using a two-generation approach.

Early childhood trauma, such as physical abuse or witnessing violence, can last a lifetime and manifest in physical and mental health problems throughout one’s life. The National Collaborative on Adversity and Resilience (NCAR) is a national movement committed to preventing childhood trauma. In December 2013, 35 NCAR leaders in adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) research, policy, and practice convened at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to follow up on the national summit on ACEs earlier in the year. This report provides a summary of the meeting.

This Trauma-Informed Organizational Toolkit was created to provide homeless service providers a roadmap for becoming trauma-informed. The Toolkit provides concrete guidelines for modifying practices and policies and ensuring appropriate responses to the needs of families who have experienced traumatic stress.