Parents, Children, and Stress (MOD007)

Home visitors need to understand that early adversity has long been known to increase the risks of disease and life-threatening behaviors later in life. Toxic stress is when a young child experiences frequent or prolonged adverse experiences. The more adverse experiences a child has will raise the risk of later health problems. A child’s sustained exposure to toxic stress may also result in behavior patterns that are difficult to change later. This can lead to a vicious cycle of toxic stressed children growing up to be adults with chronic stress that raise children with toxic stress. Home visitors can help with this cycle by identifying the stress levels in families and by using strategies to build resilience in children and families. MOD007