Nearly half of the children population in the US have experienced physical or emotional neglect or abuse, living with someone with a drug, alcohol or serious mental health problem, and other traumatic events from ages 0-17. This experience is known as Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE).

Let’s start with the basics…

Top 5 Types of ACE Experienced by Children (0-17)*

  • 21.1% Divorced or separation of parents

  • 11.7Financial Troubles

  • 6.7% Co-resided with someone mental health challenges

  • 6.4% Lived with someone with substance use challenges

  • 5.3% Parental or Caregiver Incarceration

Substance Abuse

  • Nearly 40% of child abuse cases in Illinois involve substance abuse issues (Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, 2022). 

  • Over 50% of child custody disputes in Illinois involve concerns about substance abuse (Illinois Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, 2022). 

  • Alcohol or drug use was noted in 27% of deaths (Illinois Annual Report on Child Deaths DCFS, Calendar Year 2020)

  • In substantiated child abuse cases, 76% of children were victimized by a parent or legal guardian.

Exposure to Domestic Violence

  • An estimated 70–90% of youth offenders have experienced one or more types of trauma, including high rates of physical or sexual abuse, witnessing domestic violence, and exposure to violence in school or the community (Abram et al., 2004; Ford, Hartman, Hawke, & Chapman, 2008).

  • 1 in 15 children in the United States were exposed to intimate partner violence for a total of more than 5 million children.

  • 1 in 3 children who witnessed domestic violence were also child abuse victims.

  • About 90% of child abuse is perpetrated by someone known and trusted by the child or child's family members. 

  • The total lifetime economic burden of child sexual abuse in the United States in 2015 was estimated to be at least $9.3 billion.

Crime

  • 90% of juvenile offenders in the United States experienced traumatic events in childhood.

*Data Source: 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health

ACEs and Foster Care Entry: Children exposed to multiple ACEs are at a heightened risk of entering foster care. The Illinois Department of Public Health reports that 38.3% of children in Illinois have experienced one or more ACEs, with 15.5% experiencing two or more. This prevalence suggests a substantial number of children may face circumstances leading to foster care placement. dph.illinois.gov.

Impact on Placement Stability: The number of ACEs a child experiences correlates with placement stability within foster care. A study published in Pediatrics found that children with higher cumulative ACE exposure faced increased odds of experiencing placement instability. Specifically, children with 6 to 9 ACEs had a 52% higher likelihood, and those with 10 or more ACEs had a 31% higher likelihood, of placement instability compared to those with fewer ACEs.

Illinois rank second to the last nationally in getting children adopted and out of the system within 2 years.

A little too young. A little too late.

It's a distressing reality: too many children lost their lives due to preventable circumstances, robbed of their futures by gaps in policies, programs, and systems meant to protect them.

As these tragedies continue to escalate, it's evident that the proactive prioritization of children's welfare across various sectors of society is sorely lacking. It's imperative for individuals, influential leaders, organizations, and all members of society to consistently and actively place the welfare of children at the forefront of their actions, decisions, and daily interactions.

Stories Behind the Statistics

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