What is this Grant About?

The Prevention in Early Childhood (PEC) is a prevention initiative funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS). The Town of Stoughton’s Substance Abuse Prevention Department first received this funding in FY22. 

The goal of this initiative is to reduce risk factors faced by young children, and increase protective factors in order to reduce the likelihood of future substance use disorders.

Stoughton has convened an Early Childhood Prevention Task Force. This task force is a working group of the Stoughton OASIS Coalition.

Children can thrive when they have access to POSITIVE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (PCEs). We can all work together to increase the amount of PCEs in children’s lives. AND when children experience more PCEs the research demonstrates that they have better health outcomes as teens and adults, including reduced substance misuse and better physical and mental health.

What are the PCEs?

As a child you:

1) Felt able to talk to your family about feelings.

2) Felt your family stood by you during difficult times.

3) Enjoy participating in community traditions.

4) Felt a sense of belonging in high school.

5) Felt supported by friends.

6) Have at least 2 non-parent adults who took genuine interest in you.

7) Feel safe and protected by an adult in your home.

One way to think about the PCEs is to organize them by the 4 Building Blocks of HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences).

These building blocks are:

(1) Healthy, positive RELATIONSHIPS with adults and other children;

(2) Safe, stable, equitable ENVIRONMENTS in which to live, work and play;

(3) Opportunities for social and civic ENGAGEMENT to foster a sense of belonging and connectedness;

(4) EMOTIONAL GROWTH though play and peer interaction to build the skills of self-regulation and self-awareness.

All of the strategies identified for Stoughton through this grant are intended to increase access to the 4 building blocks for Stoughton children and their families.

Learn more about the 4 building blocks with this handout or visit the HOPE website

The following research-based risk factors have been identified as the most salient for Stoughton children at this time:

• Lack of School Readiness

• Transitions

• Chronic Stress

• Parental Use of Substances