The National Institute of Mental Health's goal for the website is to provide a Web Portal that contains and provides a wealth of information related to trauma and disaster of children.

In today’s world, children are being exposed to more and more traumatic events. Television shows them gun violence, terrorism, disasters, community and domestic violence and loss of family members, to name a few. As with traumatized adults, children can suffer from a variety posttraumatic stress and dissociative conditions as a result of overwhelming stress. For children, however, the stakes may be higher because trauma can significantly affect normal child development, including the abilities to self-soothe and regulate emotions, appropriately relate to others, make reasoned decisions, and productively organize behavior. In addition, because children are in most respects dependent on parents and caregivers for their very survival, children are exceptionally vulnerable to trauma from physical and emotional abuse, neglect and sexual violations.

Yet, children are remarkably resilient, and with skilled assessment, proper intervention, and loving support, their recovery is virtually assured. Great advances have been made recently in the understanding and treatment of traumatic stress in adults and in children. In most cases, trauma need no longer remain the overwhelmingly debilitating condition it once was. But many experts agree that education - in addition to treatment - is a key aspect of healing and recovery.

The goal of kids and trauma is to reach children and care for them before traumatizing events irrevocably hinder their lives.