The KIDS COUNT: The State of the Child in Tennessee 2016 report released recently by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) focuses on the importance of preventing and responding appropriately to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), current ACEs data for Tennessee, and also ranks counties on child well-being.“Research demonstrates adverse childhood experiences can disrupt brain development, especially in young children,” said Linda O’Neal, TCCY executive director, “and present lifelong challenges for success in school, relationships, employment, and health across the lifespan.”The original ACEs study focused on child abuse and neglect and family dysfunction, and revealed the prevalence of these conditions, even in families that appear to be prospering. It demonstrated people with more ACEs were more likely to face health and mental health challenges.This report includes the most recent data on ACEs in Tennessee from the Department of Health Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). County RankingsThe old real estate rule of “location, location, location,” is also true for the well-being of children, according to data in the report showing the overall well-being of children varies according where they live.DeKalb County ranked 76 overall in the study, with one being the best, and 100 the worst.