News

Prevent Child Abuse America Awarded $1M CDC Grant to Examine Public Policy Impact on Reducing Child Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence

Chicago—Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America), the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect, announced today the award of a three-year $1.05 million CDC grant to examine the preventive effects of key public policy strategies, such as paid family leave and child care provisions, on rates of child abuse and neglect and intimate partner violence (IPV).

Violence against children and youth, including child maltreatment and exposure to IPV, is common in communities across the United States and internationally. A review of population-based surveys worldwide in 2016 estimated that approximately one billion children—around half of all children worldwide—experience direct violence annually. Additionally, a 2019 study found a significant amount of overlap in violence in the United States, with 16% of children having experienced four or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including child maltreatment and IPV.

“A successful public health approach to the prevention of child maltreatment and IPV prioritizes strategies that can have the greatest impact on the most people,” explained Dr. Melissa Merrick, president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America and co-principal investigator of the grant. “Through effective public policy, we can create the conditions for health, well-being, and prosperity for children and families and can prevent violence in the home before it occurs.”

Research shows that children who experience violence are at inc

A Back-to-school Message From Dr. Melissa Merrick

In this special back-to-school monthly message, Dr. Melissa Merrick reinforces, “Whatever your child’s learning program—in-person, remote, or a hybrid of the two—there is no perfect answer, just the best solution you can provide right now…What’s important is how we as parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, and communities continue to create the safe, stable, and nurturing environments and relationships that enable our children to succeed and thrive.”

First-of-its-kind National Partnership Aims to Redesign Child Welfare Into Child- and Family Well-Being Systems

Chicago—The U.S. Children’s Bureau, Casey Family Programs, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Prevent Child Abuse America are partnering to launch a national effort to prove it is possible to fundamentally rethink child welfare by creating the conditions for strong, thriving families where children are free from harm.

This first-of-its-kind effort—Thriving Families, Safer Children: A National Commitment to Well-Being—will work across the public, private and philanthropic sectors to assist jurisdictions in developing more just and equitable systems that benefit all children and families and break harmful intergenerational cycles of trauma and poverty.

“Having invested heavily in elevating the voices of parents and youth with lived experience in child welfare, we now have not only the opportunity but the obligation to act on what they’ve told us they need to stay strong and healthy,” says Jerry Milner, associate commissioner for the Children’s Bureau at the U.S. Administration of Children and Families. “Our four organizations are uniquely prepared and driven to do just that, by transforming child welfare into a child and family well-being system.”

Thriving Families will help select jurisdictions move from traditional, reactive child protection systems to systems designed to proactively support child and family well-being and prevent child maltreatment and unnecessary famil

In Memory of Sid Johnson

Prevent Child Abuse America pays tribute to Sid Johnson, a tireless champion for children and families across the country and former President and CEO of this organization (1998–2005), who passed last month, surrounded by family, near Eugene, Oregon.

A Message on Racism from Dr. Melissa Merrick

For the last several days, emotions that have run high for generations have clearly reached a boiling point, here in Chicago and throughout the country. The understandable outrage, profound sadness, and deafening demands for change stemming from the death of George Floyd and countless others before him are feelings that we at Prevent Child Abuse America share. For those who grieve, we grieve with you.

Dr. Melissa Merrick Responds to New Rules Under Title IX

Recent news from the Department of Education regarding new rules under Title IX, anticipated to take effect by mid-August, raise serious concerns for victims of sexual abuse and misconduct in the higher education setting.

Dr. Melissa Merrick Responds to Boy Scouts of America Bankruptcy Filing

Each year, countless children are sexually victimized by those responsible for their care, be it in the home, in communities of worship, or in youth serving organizations. We must do better!

Prevent Child Abuse America Announces Seven Newly Re-chartered Chapters in 2019, 15 More Slated in 2020, Extending Its Nationwide Reach and Impact through Partnerships

Chicago—Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) announced today that its chapters in seven states—Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Virginia—successfully completed the organization’s strength-based chartering process in 2019. Fifteen more chapters—in Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Washington, D.C.—are preparing for site visits in 2020, helping to extend the organization’s mission throughout the United States.

“Prevention happens in partnership, and our robust nationwide chapter network resides at the core of the work we do to ensure that all children and families thrive,” explained PCA America President & CEO Dr. Melissa Merrick. “We’re fortunate to have skilled and dedicated leadership and staff in all of these states, and the numerous local partners they collaborate with, which enables us to both extend our primary prevention efforts broadly and tailor them to meet the specific needs of diverse communities across the country.”

During this process, formally called Building Capacity Chartering, PCA America chapters undergo an in-depth self-assessment, combined with on-site interviews and discussions with board members, partners, funders, legislators and others, to evaluate criteria such as the demonstration of a strong mission and consistent brand identity, documentation of sound operational infrastructure and financial resources and evidence of leadership in the statewide scope of influence and activity in child abuse and neglec

Prevent Child Abuse America Announces New Members on National Board of Directors

Chicago—Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America), the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect, announced today the addition of six new members to its national board of directors: Sanford Bohrer, Molly Campbell, Thomas Carhart, Danielle Laraque-Arena, Jodi Scheurenbrand, and Bernardo Wolfson.

“Prevention happens in partnership, and I’m honored to partner with this distinguished group of talented and respected individuals in creating the conditions for safe, stable and nurturing relationships and environments that help children, families and communities across the country thrive,” explained PCA America President & CEO Dr. Melissa Merrick.

Bohrer is a senior partner in the law firm of Holland & Knight, in the company’s Miami office. He is co-chair of the firm’s media law practice and served for many years as head of the firm’s litigation section’s pro bono practice. He has represented The Miami Herald and Miami New Times for decades, in addition to representing dozens of other broadcasters, authors, and publishers on matters covering the entire spectrum of media law. He is presently teaching “Intolerance and the Media” and “Children and the Media” at the University of Miami’s School of Communications.
Campbell is a 2019 Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative fellow and a former director of the Port of New York and New

Contact Your Elected Officials Today and Urge Them to Maintain CAPTA Funding Levels

Originally enacted in 1974, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) is the only federal program exclusively dedicated to the prevention, assessment, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect. It is also the only legislation that addresses universal primary prevention capacity-building at a local level and supports services essential to healthy and thriving communities in every state.