Knowing a child’s growth and development are essential, Excelsior Springs Substance Abuse Free-Environment (SAFE) coalition launched the Roots of Resilience media campaign. “The purpose of the Roots of Resilience campaign is to empower adults to realize the many ways they can positively impact kids’ lives,” said Julia Mees, SAFE program director. The media campaign is designed to provide information for adults to help youth become resilient during times of adversity, such as stress. Specific amounts of stress, such as toxic stress, in children, can harm development. Toxic stress, according to the Center for Youth Wellness, can change children’s brains and bodies through disruptive learning, behavioral challenges, poor immunity, lack of growth, hormonal system imbalance and how DNA is read and transcribed. In order for stress to be classified as toxic, it must be robust, frequent or prolonged without adequate support or buffering, Roots and Resilience points out. Examples of…