Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur during childhood, such as abuse, neglect, or separation from a primary caregiver. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that ACEs can have lasting effects on health and well-being, increasing the risk of chronic disease, depression, and difficulty forming stable relationships later in life.
At FIRST Legal Clinic, we believe one of the most preventable ACEs is the unnecessary separation of infants from their parents at birth. Our work focuses on stopping that trauma before it happens. By providing early legal representation and support, often before a baby is even born, we help families stay safely together and begin bonding from the start.
Instead of removing newborns from mothers who are engaged in treatment, our team connects families with compassionate legal advocacy, medical care, and peer support through parent allies with lived experience. This early, collaborative approach helps families avoid the lifelong effects of toxic stress and promotes healthy attachment and recovery.
“The work of the FIRST Clinic is to prevent trauma before it occurs, to prevent the unnecessary ACE of having a baby separated from their primary attachment figure right after birth. We keep mothers and babies together, supporting bonding through processes like Eat, Sleep, Console, and connecting families to resources and parent allies who’ve been there before.”
— Adam Ballout, Attorney, FIRST Legal Clinic
Watch the full video below, where Adam Ballout explains ACEs and how FIRST Legal Clinic works to prevent them through early, family-centered advocacy. He also discusses insights from the Casey Family Programs report on race-blind removal and why keeping mothers and babies together is essential to breaking cycles of trauma.