News and Events

Todd Grindal from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard gave an informed lecture to about 50 childcare professionals, mental health professionals, school counselors and others about toxic stress – what it is, how it effects the growing brain, and what we as providers can to to mitigate the effects. This lecture was sponsored by the Building Bright Futures Council and held at the Montshire Museum’s community room.

The label “toxic” refers to the response of the child to a stressful environment, not the event itself. There are three kinds of response: positive, tolerable and toxic. Here is the definition of toxic, provided by the Center on the Developing Child website:

“Toxic stress response can occur when a child experiences strong, frequent, and/or prolonged adversity – such as physical or emotional abuse, chronic neglect, caregiver substance abuse or mental illness, exposure to violence, and/or the accumulated burdens of family economic hardship – without adequate adult support.”

A child who experiences a toxic shock response can be vulnerable to other health problems later in life, such as heart disease, diabetes, substance abuse, and depression. Brain development between the ages of zero and five is at its most impressive, and the disruption caused by extreme stress has lingering effects long after the events which caused the stress have ended.

What can we do to help children suffering from this type of stress? Working to remedy the stressful situation is the most effective option. Providing support to the child during the stressful time is another positive action to take. As a community we have a responsibility to our most vulnerable members to ensure their environments are safe, secure, and hopeful; this is one of the underpinnings of the work we do here at The Family Place.