Conn. to launch effort to help vulnerable children

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — State officials hope to come up with a plan to help Connecticut's most vulnerable children during their first 1,000 days of life.

A forum is planned for Monday at the state Capitol. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, state legislators, state agency commissioners, child welfare experts, judges and others are expected to attend.

Organizers of the initiative plan to spend the next year to two years examining ways to address needs of children, birth to three-years-old, who've experienced trauma and abuse.

A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Kaiser Permanente found that individuals with a greater number of adverse events during early childhood are more likely to smoke cigarettes, abuse drugs and alcohol, attempt suicide or have health problems that put them at risk for an early death.