America is facing an epidemic of opioid misuse, and our young children are among its victims. Parental substance abuse is a significant Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) that impedes children’s future citizen readiness—their ability to grow up healthy, well-educated and prepared for productive lives. The epidemic has seriously compromised the strength of our nation: threatening public safety, impacting the workforce, tearing families apart, and likely decreasing the number of youth eligible for military service. Highquality early care and education programs, including home visiting, child care, Head Start, and preschool, offer a powerful approach to helping children impacted by the opioid crisis. By investing in these programs, policymakers can help ensure these children are able to avoid crime, raise families of their own, and contribute to the workforce, including serving in the military if they choose.
[To read this report, go to https://strongnation.s3.amazon...4e1-dc14b6e58465.pdf]
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