The report claims that between 2015 and 2020, 62% of Kentucky adults reported having at least one adverse childhood event - with those experiences resulting in a total economic burden of $295 million per year.
Communities have a responsibility to invest in prevention and policies aimed at improving child well-being, said Sarah Hemingway - the executive director of the Marilyn and William Young Charitable Foundation.
"It's difficult enough to overcome trauma when you're an adult, much less a child," said Hemingway. "And I think that as a state, as communities, I think we need to be working upstream and not downstream."
The most commonly reported experiences are parental divorce, household substance use, and emotional abuse.
The report calls to expand access to child care, increase usage of home-visitation programs, and embed trauma-informed approaches in schools.
Hannah Edelen, policy and advocacy director with Kentucky Youth Advocates, said while experiencing adversity in childhood can increase the likelihood of hardship later in life, positive experiences have the opposite effect.
"The new research talks a lot about positive childhood experiences and the impact of having a mentor in your life," said Edelen, "and there's real opportunity to create policy, as well as invest in those types of programs."
Barry Allen - president & CEO of the Gaines Foundation, and a leader of the Bloom Kentucky Coalition - said he hopes the report helps lawmakers understand that the experiences of children impact the state as a whole.
"Our intent is to take this report and take some action with it," said Allen, "as it relates, not only to the providers of services to children, but also to the legislature - for stepping in and making some policy decisions."
He pointed to legislation such as the Trauma-Informed Schools Act of 2019, which promoted trauma-based programs and teacher education, as an important step forward for kids in the Commonwealth.