When Cope’s community of neighbors and sponsors comes together to support parents and prevent child abuse, we usually think about the children we’re helping now. We all want the kids we see around us to have happy, safe childhoods, and grow up in families that make them feel loved and cared for.

As we help, we’re probably not thinking that, in twenty or thirty years, those kids will grow up to have healthier hearts. And yet, the science of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) tells us that a happier childhood makes for a healthier adult.