Child Abuse - Organizations

Annotation: The Children's Services of the American Humane Association (AHA) ensures that effective child protective service systems are in place in every part of America. The association provides comprehensive training for professionals (social workers, physicians, teachers, law enforcement personnel, nurses, and judges), provides expert evaluation and technical assistance to community and statewide child protective programs, and promotes national standards for programs to protect children from abuse and neglect. Publications include professional resources for frontline workers, child welfare professionals, administrators, legislators, and the general public. Some materials are available in Spanish.

Keywords: Child abuse, Child neglect, Child protection agencies, Child protective services, Information services, Technical assistance, Training

Annotation: The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) brings together psychologists, social workers, physicians, attorneys, nurses, law enforcement officers, child protective services workers, administrators, researchers, and allied professionals who have dedicated a substantial portion of their professional lives to alleviating the problems caused by child maltreatment. The mission of APSAC is to ensure that everyone affected by child abuse and neglect receives high quality professional response. APSAC is committed to providing continuing professional education which promotes effective, culturally sensitive, and interdisciplinary approaches to the identification, intervention, treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect; to educating the public about the complex issues involved in child abuse and neglect; and to ensuring that public policy affecting America's response to child maltreatment is well informed and constructive. Publications include the quarterly APSAC Advisor and the journal Child Maltreatment as well as numerous practice guidelines and other books. The society also sponsors conferences, training seminars, and workshops.

Keywords: Child abuse, Child neglect, Health education, Public policies

Annotation: Boys Town -- formerly known as Girls and Boys Town -- provides a second chance for children and adolescents with behavioral, emotional, or physical problems. Although the Boys Town headquarters is in Nebraska, its outreach is national in scope with more than a dozen treatment sites across the country. Services provided include residential care, shelter care, foster care, treatment, parent training, family crisis intervention, and a 24-hour crisis hotline, as well as technical assistance and referrals to other residential care programs across the nation. The focus is on implementing an integrated continuum of care for children and families based on research-proven services. Boys Town hosts a website for parents -- parenting.org -- and provides positive learning tools for educators based on the Boys Town Model. Other resources include workshops, webinars, presentations, research findings, and a blog The organization conducts research through the Boys Towns National Research Institute and provides treatment for children with speech, hearing, and visual problems at its National Research Hospital in Omaha Nebraska.

Keywords: Adolescents, Speech disorders, Hearing disorders,, Child abuse, Child neglect, Foster care, Residential programs

Annotation: The Child Welfare Information Gateway provides information services to child welfare and related professionals and the public as the clearinghouse for the Children’s Bureau, compiling, synthesizing, and disseminating resources to promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families. The Information Gateway provides access to publications, websites, and online databases covering a range of topics, including child welfare, child abuse and neglect, foster care, adoption, and the content areas for which the Children's Bureau Training and Technical Assistance Network (TTA) members provide support.

Keywords: Adopted children, Adoptive parents, Biological parents, Child abuse, Child neglect, Children with special health care needs, Clearinghouses, Databases, Family violence, Information services, Information dissemination, Adoption, Injury prevention, Spanish language materials, Support groups

Annotation: The Children's Research Center is a division of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD). The CRC works to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect by influencing public policies that affect the child welfare system, by conducting policy research and by assisting child welfare agencies in improve consistency and effectiveness in delivery systems. The center provides research to identify factors related to continued abuse and neglect, development of risk assessment instruments, protocols, and standards for case management, and evaluation and technical assistance to assure proper implementation. CRC sponsors conferences, workshops, and training seminars, and publishes a newsletter, journal, and research reports.

Keywords: Child abuse, Child neglect, Children, Injury prevention, Standards, Technical assistance

Annotation: The Committee for Children promotes the safety, well-being, and social development of children through developing bullying, youth violence, and child abuse prevention curricula and videos for educators, families, and communities. The Committee sponsors Steps to Respect, a bullying prevention program geared towards children in the upper elementary grades; Second Step, a curriculum for preschool to junior high students which teaches social skills to reduce impulsive and aggressive behavior in children and increase their level of social competence; and Talking About Touching, a personal safety curriculum. Information is provided on foundations of research and outcome evaluations for individual programs. Consultation and technical assistance on program implementation is also available. Links to related conferences, funding opportunities, and statistics are provided.

Keywords: Violence prevention, Audiovisual materials, Bullying, Child abuse, Curriculum development, Program evaluation, Technical assistance

Annotation: The Family Life Development Center was established to improve professional and public efforts to understand and respond to risk factors in the lives of children, youth, families, and communities that lead to violence and maltreatment. Areas of special interest include child maltreatment and family violence, youth development, children in residential care, HIV/AIDS prevention, and military family life. As a multidisciplinary unit of the Cornell University College of Human Ecology, the Center works to achieve its mission through research, training, and outreach. It serves New York State, the nation and the international community.

Keywords: Child abuse prevention, Families, Research, Training, Violence prevention

Annotation: The Duluth Family Visitation Center offers support for victims of domestic violence and their children as well as supervised visitation, monitored visitation, and monitored exchange services to families affected by domestic violence. The center provides information, resources, online data sources, and intervention tools to help curb domestic violence and heal the effects of abuse.

Keywords: Child abuse, Domestic violence, Parenting, Visitation

Annotation: The Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (JJC) is a component of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service that collects, synthesizes, and disseminates information on juvenile justice and delinquency prevention. Through print and other media, the Clearinghouse offers the latest research findings, descriptions of promising programs, publications on youth-related issues, practical guides and manuals, announcements of funding opportunities, and other resources on juvenile justice and related topics.

Keywords: Adolescent health, Adolescent parents, Clearinghouses, Homeless persons, Injury prevention, Juvenile delinquency, Missing children, Runaways, School dropouts, Sexual abuse, Substance abuse

Annotation: KidsPeace, The National Center for Kids Overcoming Crisis, is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping children overcome crisis through a variety of public education initiatives, prevention efforts, and treatment programs. KidsPeace offers public awareness outreach (including the distribution of public service information and free materials); research and development through the organization's Lee Salk Center; and a national referral network which connects parents, doctors and children to more than 20,000 sources of assistance nationwide. The KidsPeace Hospital, a division of KidsPeace, provides acute inpatient care for kids in crisis. KidsPeace National Centers for Kids in Crisis centers (also a division of KidsPeace) is dedicated to helping children overcome crisis through treatment, counseling and education. Thirty distinct treatment programs at 25 centers across the U.S. include intensive foster care, diagnostic services, education systems, and treatment facilities.

Keywords: Child abuse, Mental disorders, Mental health, Sexual abuse

Annotation: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) provides professionals and the public with information and publications concerning missing children, child molestation, child pornography, and child prostitution. The center sponsors a hotline to assist the public in reporting missing and exploited children and in providing information leading to the location of these children. The center also maintains national statistics and information on the incidence of abductions; conducts a training and technical assistance programs; and provides news bulletins, fact sheets, and other resources for parents and guardians, childcare providers, law enforcement officers, and the media. Materials are available in Spanish, Asian languages, and other languages.

Keywords: Intentional injuries, Assault, Child abuse, Child pornography, Child sexual abuse, Family violence, Homicide, Information services, Injury prevention, Missing children, Public education

Annotation: Founded in 1985 by the American Prosecutors Research Institute in response to a dramatic increase in reported child abuse cases, the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse (NCPCA) works to improve the investigation and prosecution of child abuse through court reform, professional specialization, and interagency coordination. The center provides training and technical assistance, research services, a national network of child abuse prosecutors (through the National District Attorneys Association), and a clearinghouse on case law, court reforms, legislative initiatives, and trial strategies. Publications include a comprehensive manual, Investigation and Prosecution of Child Abuse, and a monthly newsletter, Update.

Keywords: Child abuse, Advocacy, Child advocacy, Clearinghouses, Information dissemination, Injury prevention, Legal issues, Resources for professionals, Training

Annotation: The National Children's Alliance, previously known as National Network of Children's Advocacy Centers, is a not-for-profit organization that works to provide training, technical assistance, and networking opportunities to communities seeking to plan, establish, or improve children's advocacy centers. The organization stresses coordination of investigation and intervention services by bringing together professionals and agencies as a multidisciplinary team to create a child-focused approach to child abuse cases. Publications include Best Practices, a guide to establishing children's advocacy center programs, and a newsletter. The organization also sponsors conferences.

Keywords: Advocacy, Child abuse, Child health, Infant health, Intervention, Investigations

Annotation: The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) represents America's judges who exercise jurisdiction over delinquency, abuse, and neglect, divorce, custody, support, domestic violence and similar types of cases throughout the country. The National Council, a 501 (c) (3) coroporation, conducts judicial education and training programs at the Louis W. McHardy National College of Juvenile and Family Justice, located on the Reno campus of the University of Nevada as well as at numerous sites throughout the country. Current focus issues of the National Council include juvenile and family law, serious and violent juvenile crime, child abuse and neglect, youthful sex offenders, family violence, substance abuse issues and a host of other subjects. Their services to consumers include referrals, publications, and reference information. NCJFCJ publishes a journal, newsletter, digest, and catalog. The association also sponsors conferences, workshops, and training seminars.

Keywords: Adolescent health, Adolescent parents, Homeless persons, Injury prevention, Juvenile delinquency, Runaways, School dropouts, Substance abuse, Violence prevention

Annotation: The National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence (NCCAFV) is a national nonprofit organization that promotes private sector initiatives and private/public sector collaboration in preventing child abuse, spouse/partner abuse (domestic violence), and elder abuse. NCCAFV provides the Secretariat for the International Network on Family Violence (INFV), for the biennial World Congress on Family Violence (WCFV), and for Child Welfare Fund International (CWFI). NCCAFV seeks to elevate public awareness of intergenerational family violence; to serve as a catalyst in building national and international networks for collaborative action; to provide opportunities for development and enrichment to professionals in private and public agencies; to develop model programs in prevention and treatment of intergenerational family violence; to support research and evaluation efforts that expand knowledge in the field and translate it into better practice and programs for victims; and to provide statistical, program and research data on intergenerational family violence. Services to consumers include referrals, reference information, and publications that are available free of charge on NCCAFV's Web site.

Keywords: Child abuse, Domestic violence, Family violence, Women

Annotation: The National Resource Center for Child Protective Services (NRCCPS) provides expert consultation, technical assistance, and training in all areas of child protective services, including intake, assessment, case planning, ongoing safety management, removal and reunification decision making, ongoing services, and case closure. NRCCPS helps to build the capacity of State, local, Tribal, and other publicly administered or supported child welfare agencies to achieve safety, permanency, and well-being for children and families. It is part of the Children's Bureau Training and Technical Assistance Network (TTA).

Keywords: Child welfare, Child abuse, Maltreated children, Resource centers

Annotation: Founded in 1970, Parents Anonymous, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest child abuse and neglect prevention, education, and treatment program. The organization's mission is to promote mutual support and parent leadership in order to build and support strong, healthy families. Today, Parent's Anonymous leads an extensive national network of neighborhood-based support groups for parents and their children. Services to consumers include referrals, publications, reference information and research publications. The organization publishes a newsletter, sponsors conferences and training seminars, and provides materials in Spanish.

Keywords: Injury prevention, Adolescents, Anticipatory guidance, Child abuse, Child neglect, Children, Counseling, Education, Family violence, Information services, Parenting, Spanish language materials

Annotation: Parents United International is a nonprofit organization with 54 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. These chapters exist under the auspices of the professional community-based Child Sexual Abuse Treatment Program. Parents United consists of adult family members who receive treatment through the program; the other program components are Daughters and Sons United (sexually molested children and their siblings) and Adults Molested as Children (adults who have never resolved the trauma of being sexually molested as children). Each Parents United guided self-help group is sponsored by a professional agency such as Child Protective Services or a professional mental health agency.

Keywords: Child Abuse, Child sexual abuse, Mental health

Annotation: Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA), formerly the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, seeks to increase public awareness of the incidence, origins, nature, and effects of child abuse. The organization serves as a national advocate to prevent the neglect and physical, sexual, and emotional abuse of children. It sponsors their state chapters and the Healthy Families America home visitor prevention program. The organization sponsors conferences and training seminars and publishes a number of pamphlets and brochures on parenting for consumers. Some materials in Spanish.

Keywords: Advocacy, Child abuse, Injury prevention, Parent support services, Parenting, Peer support programs, Public education

Annotation: Tthe Children's Bureau (CB) is located within the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACF). It is responsible for assisting states in the delivery of child welfare services - services designed to protect children and strengthen families. The agency provides grants to states, tribes and communities to operate a range of child welfare services including child protective services (child abuse and neglect) family preservation and support, foster care, adoption, and independent living. In addition, the agency makes major investments in staff training, technology and innovative programs. A variety of fact sheets, reports, and resource lists can be downloaded from the Web site. The bureau also publishes an electronic newsletter called the Children's Bureau Express.

Keywords: Child welfare, Adoption, Child abuse, Child neglect, Domestic violence, Electronic publications, Family violence, Foster care, Injury prevention

Annotation: The U.S. Office of Child Abuse and Neglect, formerly the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, provides leadership and direction on the issues of child maltreatment and the prevention of abuse and neglect under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). It is the focal point for interagency collaborative efforts, national conferences and special initiatives related to child abuse and neglect, and for coordinating activities related to the prevention of abuse and neglect and the protection of children at-risk. It supports activities to build networks of community-based, prevention-focused family resource and support programs and improve systems which handle child abuse and neglect cases. The Web site links to federal and state reporting systems, training and technical assistance, research, statistics, laws, policies, programs, and funding.

Keywords: Child abuse, Child neglect, Family violence, Injury prevention