About the AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation

The AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation is dedicated to preventing and mitigating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which are proven to have long-term impacts on physical and mental health, as well as on social and economic opportunity. The AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation looks forward to working with local nonprofits to help drive meaningful change for children and communities who need it the most.

 

Purpose

To address ACEs, which will help drive positive outcomes for the betterment of children's health and help set a stronger foundation for a lifetime of wellness.

In addition to preventing and mitigating ACEs, the Foundation also works to promote protective and compensatory childhood experiences (sometimes referred to as “PACEs”), which can counteract the effects of ACEs and support positive outcomes.

ACEs can result in unhealthy exposure to toxic stress, which may impact a child’s physical, mental, and emotional development, potentially increasing the risk of chronic health conditions, mental health conditions, and adverse social outcomes in the long-term. Strengthening individuals and families through increased protective factors such as social connectedness, emotional well-being, and economic mobility can prevent ACEs and minimize their potential negative effects. Positive experiences set the path for a child’s healthy development and may contribute to positive lifelong outcomes even when ACEs occur.

 

Approach

The Foundation's approach centers on investing in and supporting innovative and potentially scalable programs.

ACEs are complex and multidimensional, with no single solution for prevention.

The Foundation looks at programs that promote:

  • Comprehensive supports to meet a wide range of needs, such as connections to housing
  • Customized programs to meet the unique needs of children and families
  • Asset-based programs that focus on existing family and community strengths
  • Community-led perspectives and leadership to help build trust and lasting impacts
 

Pillars

Empowered families

Work to ensure that families have the resources they need to thrive through:

  • Skills development
  • Safe communities
  • Stable housing
  • Connection to vital resources

Healing behaviors

Work to ensure that families can meet challenges and improve well-being by addressing:

  • Mental health
  • Substance use
  • Physical abuse and violence
  • Emotional abuse

Access to health care

Work to ensure that families receive equitable, high-quality services, including:

  • Better access to care
  • Culturally-appropriate services
  • Maternal health
 

Preventing and addressing ACEs is the Foundation's goal

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that ACEs cost an estimated $748 billion each year in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda.[1] However, ACEs are preventable; and doing so can have a major impact on the social determinants of health.

The challenge in prevention lies in the fact that ACEs can be caused by a number of different factors and take various forms. Some contributing factors include:

  • Personal traits and experiences
  • Parents and the family environment
  • The community environment
 

Success starts with awareness

Some of the Foundation's goals include:

  • Educating about ACEs and the long-term impacts they can have on children and families.
  • Reducing stigma around asking for help with parenting, substance misuse, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
  • Promoting stable and safe environments and relationships between children and adults.

Learn more information about ACEs and how to address and prevent them.