To ask the Minister of Health to detail any data his Department holds on the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences among children in the care of his Department.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) encompass various forms of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction occurring before the age of 18. They can also involve exposure to violence, particularly in conflict-affected areas.

Globally, ACEs are recognised as significant determinants of health, educational, and social outcomes across the life-course, with higher exposure to adversity during childhood correlating to poorer outcomes across physical and mental health, substance use, and behavioural trajectories.

ACEs are not collected centrally by my Department. However adverse experiences are recorded and considered as part of the care planning process for an individual child, and are then held by the Health & Social Care (HSC) Trust that has corporate parenting responsibilities for the child.

Children in care have often experienced numerous ACEs, requiring specialised, trauma-informed care to address severe emotional, behavioural, and attachment difficulties stemming from abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction.

As such research shows adults who were in care as children face higher risks of homelessness, poor health and justice system involvement.

My Department is committed to ensuring children and young people receive support tailored to their needs, which highlights the importance of detailing ACEs to gain a better understanding of the child’s life story. These details included in individual casefiles aid HSC Trusts in their efforts to improve the outcomes in life for children in their care.