It’s been over 20 years since the country’s largest investigation into the lifelong impacts of adverse childhood experiences, namely childhood abuse and neglect. More recently, scientific research has conclusively linked toxic levels of stress during childhood with specific health and social impacts that can last a lifespan.

The good news is that the science of toxic stress is hastening the science of hope, as creative and concerned pediatricians, educators and communities seize on this knowledge to help break the cycle of adversity and related diseases.

To learn more, and help make Minisink Valley a stronger community, the Orange County Parenting Coalition invites you to a free screening and facilitated discussion of Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope, on Tuesday, April 30, at 7 p.m., in the auditorium of the Minisink Valley Middle School.

About the film: The child may not remember, but the body remembers. Researchers have recently discovered a dangerous biological syndrome caused by abuse and neglect during childhood. As the new documentary Resilience reveals, toxic stress can trigger hormones that wreak havoc on the brains and bodies of children, putting them at a greater risk for disease, homelessness, prison time, and early death. While the broader impacts of poverty worsen the risk, no segment of society is immune. But there is hope.

Resilience also chronicles the dawn of a movement that is determined to fight back. Trailblazers in pediatrics, education, and social welfare are using the latest science and tested therapies to protect children from the insidious effects of toxic stress — and the dark legacy of a childhood that no child would choose.

Event Sponsors: Orange County Parenting Coalition, NYS Parenting Education Partnership, and Minisink Valley Central School District.