Building a Resilient Georgia: Highlights from the 2025 PACES Report Card

Every year, the PACES Report Card provides a snapshot of how Georgia’s children and families are doing—tracking both Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) that increase the risk of poor outcomes, and Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PCEs) that help buffer against them.

Resilient Georgia partnered with the Essentials for Childhood: Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences Through Data to Action - an initiative led by the Georgia Department of Public Health and the Emory Injury Prevention Research Center - to provide data and sources for information in the PACES Report Card. This year’s findings remind us that while progress is being made in some areas, continued investment in prevention, connection, and equitable access to care remains essential to building a resilient Georgia.

Positive Experiences (PCEs): Promoting Protection and Resilience

Resilient Georgia’s statewide strategy centers around five key pillars designed to strengthen families, build protective factors, and reduce adversity. The data help highlight both challenges and opportunities in these areas.

• Preschool Enrollment (52%) – Over half of Georgia’s 3- and 4-year-olds are not in preschool, underscoring the need for expanded access to quality early learning. Expanding access to quality early learning programs is one of the most effective strategies to close learning gaps before they begin.

• Feeling Unsafe at School (55%, up 5.5) –This increase is concerning and points to the need for targeted safety measures, anti-bullying programs, and mental health supports to ensure all students can learn in a secure environment.

• Children Living in Poverty (19%, down 0.7) – The percentage of children living in poverty has slightly declined to 19%, reflecting modest progress in supporting families and improving economic conditions for our youngest community members.

• Suicidal Ideation (10%, down 0.6) – Youth reporting suicidal thoughts has decreased slightly to 10%, indicating some improvement. However, a new report from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities reveals that suicide is the second leading cause of death for children ages 10 through 14. Continued focus on mental health supports, awareness of warning signs, and early interventions remains essential to protect our youth.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): A Closer Look at the Data

ACEs are potentially traumatic events that occur before age 18—such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction—and can have lifelong effects on health, learning, and relationships.

This year’s data show that several ACE indicators have worsened since 2020, underscoring the ongoing impact of mental health challenges, substance misuse, and family stressors.

For example: 

• The percentage of Georgia adults who grew up in a household with a parent or adult experiencing mental illness increased from 21% in 2020 to 26.2% in 2023—a significant rise that underscores the urgent need for accessible, family-centered care.

• Adults who have reported experiencing 4+ ACEs increased from 24% by +2.8 percent in 2023. The rise of Georgians experiencing four or more ACEs (nearly one in four statewide) signals a deepening cumulative risk for poor lifelong health outcomes. Cross-sector collaboration is essential to build protective factors and community resilience.

Looking Ahead

The 2025 PACES Report Card tells a clear story: Georgia’s children and families need continued investment, connection, and coordinated mental and behavioral support to thrive.

Resilient Georgia and our regional coalition partners are committed to advancing trauma-informed practices, promoting mental health awareness, and building systems that give every child the opportunity for a healthy, hopeful future.

Special Thanks

This work would not have been possible without Resilient Georgia’s Data Specialist Consultants Jordan Ricketts and Kristin Denning. Jordan Ricketts is a doctoral student in the Community Psychology program at Georgia State University, where her research focuses on academic motivation, achievement, and resilience among ethnically diverse students in STEM disciplines. Alongside her scholarly work, she serves as a consultant with Resilient Georgia, supporting statewide coalitions by developing Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs) profiles to inform prevention, policy, and resilience-building efforts. Kristin Denning is a key contributor and initiator to the work done for the Georgia PACEs report card. Kristin has worked as a project analyst and consultant at Resilient Georgia, specifically the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health project evaluation and recruitment. She is a Program Associate of Public Policy at the Mental Health Public Policy, Rosalynn Carter Mental Health and Caregiver Program at The Carter Center.