Melissa T. Merrick, PhD, is President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America), the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect.
At Prevent Child Abuse America, we work hard to realize our vision of a world where all children grow up happy, healthy, and prepared to succeed in supportive families and communities.
You can influence public policy. Advocacy happens in many different ways, but at its core advocacy is about raising awareness, building and leveraging relationships, and educating others around the issues and policies that matter to you.
Chicago — Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America), the nation’s oldest and largest organization committed to preventing child abuse and neglect before it happens, announced today that Gelasia Croom has joined the organization as its new Chief Communications Officer, effective this week. A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Croom most recently served as Director of Strategic Communications at Children’s Home & Aid Society of Illinois, where she oversaw both internal and external communications.
#1 New York Times Bestseller Tells an Unforgettable Story of Child Abuse
Non-Profits Will Provide Expert Perspective, Help Raise Public Understanding of Child Abuse, and Provide Resources and Strategies for Prevention
CHICAGO and WASHINGTON, D.C, April 27, 2022 — Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) and Saving Promise, two of the nation’s leading nonprofits focused on the prevention of child abuse and domestic violence, have been named advocacy partners for the film adaptation of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, A Child Called It.
The iconic book tells the harrowing story of author David Pelzer’s physical and emotional abuse by an unstable, alcoholic mother before becoming a foster child at the age of 12. Since its release in 1995, the book has sold millions of copies worldwide and was a New York Times Bestseller for years.
As partners to the production, PCA America and Saving Promise will provide expert perspective on abuse-related issues, help the filmmakers raise public awareness and understanding of the societal conditions and issues underlying abuse, and provide resources and strategies for intervention and prevention.
“April is National Child Abuse Prevention month, and there couldn’t be a better time to announce this unique and powerful partnership,