News

United Nations Declares November 18 as World Day Aimed at Ending Child Sexual Exploitation and Violence, Bringing Hope and Healing to Survivors

On November 7, the United Nations declared November 18 as the World Day for the Prevention of, and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence. The resolution, which was sponsored by Sierra Leone and Nigeria and co-sponsored by more than 120 countries, was adopted by consensus and a bang of the gavel by the assembly’s acting president, which was greeted with loud applause.  Following the action, H.E., Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, Permanent Observer of the Holy See United Nations, New York addressed the Assembly expressing appreciation for the UN’s action, and the full support of the Vatican State for the newly adopted World Day.

Preventing Domestic Violence and Promoting Healthy Families

As organizations committed to children’s health and wellness, we are often asked how to prevent child abuse and neglect. With 50 years of prevention experience, research, and boots-on-the-ground prevention programming, Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) is poised to partner with Illinois’ top-ranking children’s hospital, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, to stop violence in families and communities that negatively impact children.  We know prevention is possible. This is not just a slogan, but a clarion call to changemakers – lawmakers, businesses, community leaders, and individuals – across our country who care about stopping life-altering abuse, neglect, and family violence. The term ‘domestic violence’ is used to refer to partner violence but the term can also encompass child or elder abuse, or abuse by a member of a household.  

PCA America and Lurie Children’s Hospital have united this month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, to help spread the word that domestic violence is preventable. Many studies have found an association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and child abuse within the same household, imparti

Prevent Child Abuse America Receives Cooperative Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to Evaluate Policies on Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Nationwide

State-by-state evaluation and analysis to help reduce child sexual abuse, an adverse childhood experience linked to life-long mental and physical health challenges

Prevent Child Abuse America’s Statement on Declining Child Poverty Reports

There has been a lot of discussion over the past couple of weeks on new child poverty data that show drastic and steady declines. In a New York Times piece citing the US Census Bureau and the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University stated:

PCA America Endorses the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022

Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) and Healthy Families America (HFA) are pleased to endorse the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022. We thank the leaders of the Committee on Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives for their dedicated bipartisan work to support and strengthen families through this reauthorization of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program.  

Corporal punishment in schools creates more trauma for children

By Dr. Melissa Merrick
President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America

PCA America’s Statement on Inflation Reduction Act and the missed opportunity to invest in support for children and families

The Inflation Reduction Act, Congress’s final budget reconciliation package, was signed into law by President Biden on August 16, 2022. This Act secures investments in clean energy to combat our climate crisis, reduces prescription drug costs, especially for seniors, and eases health care costs for those obtaining coverage under the Affordable Care Act — all very important things.

Statement on the death of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, Zachery Potts, and Emma Thomson

The Prevent Child Abuse America and Healthy Families America community is deeply saddened by the loss of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski and her two staffers, Zachery Potts and Emma Thomson, who tragically passed away yesterday. We extend our sincerest condolences to the families and the many friends and colleagues who will miss their passion and dedication to their country, the state of Indiana and the constituents they served.

The Centers for Disease Control Joins Thriving Families, Safer Children to promote the health and well-being of families

Prevent Child Abuse America is excited to announce that the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (Injury Center) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has joined the Thriving Families, Safer Children effort. Thriving Families, Safer Children is a first-of-its-kind national partnership that works across public, private and philanthropic sectors to promote the health, well-being and economic stability of families to help strengthen communities and end the harmful practice of family separation.

A Message on Gun Violence from Dr. Melissa Merrick

This month, the Chicagoland area and the entire nation mourns the loss of numerous lives and the injuries of many others in what can only be described as senseless acts of violence this Independence Day weekend. The understandable outrage and profound sadness following the mass shootings that occurred not only on Chicago’s South Side and in nearby Highland Park, Illinois, but also around the country, are feelings that we at Prevent Child Abuse America share. As a national organization headquartered in Chicago, all of us at PCA America feel the weight of these tragedies, and we stand in solidarity with our friends and neighbors.