Today, December 23rd, 2022, the 117th Congress passed a legislative spending package funding the government through the end of its fiscal year until September 30, 2023. The Omnibus bill includes priorities of importance to Prevent Child Abuse America as it provides critical investments and support to families and children.
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.
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
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
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:
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.
By Dr. Melissa Merrick
President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America
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.
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.
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.
