Originally enacted in 1974, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) is the only federal program exclusively dedicated to the prevention, assessment, identification,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.
Chicago—Today, Dr. Melissa Merrick, president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) calls on business leaders and policymakers to enact pragmatic strategies that prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Merrick is the lead author of a new report on ACEs, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she served previously as a subject matter expert for almost nine years.
“Exposure to ACEs is one of the biggest public health crises we confront in this country—at least five of the top 10 leading causes of death in adults are associated with ACEs, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes,” explained Merrick. “We must tackle the enormity of this problem with holistic, cross-sector approaches that actively engage the business community and legislators at the local, state and national levels, in partnership with the medical and human services fields, to prevent the occurrence of ACEs.”
ACEs are defined as potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0–17 years) such as experiencing violence, abuse or neglect; witnessing violence in the home and having a family member attempt or die by suicide. Also included are aspects of the child’s environment that can undermine their sense of safety, stability and bonding such as growing up in a household with substance misuse, mental health problems or instability due to par
There is a maternal health and mortality crisis in this country. I have seen how it devastates families and staff in the communities we serve at our Healthy Families America (HFA) affiliate sites across the country. We mourn the lives that have already been lost—mothers, daughters, cousins, aunts, friends, community leaders, beloved employees, and so many more. To honor their memory, we in the home visiting field must pledge to do better.
To thrive, children require relationships and contexts that support their healthy development in safe, consistent, and age-appropriate ways. Daily headlines remind us that all too many children, at the hands of those responsible for their care—be it family, friends, coaches, and/or faith leaders—have their rights violated through acts of violence. A recent series of articles in the New York Times highlighted the enormity of the problem of child sexual abuse victimization. Last year alone, 45 million images and videos of child sexual abuse were identified online, double the number from the previous year. Despite having done this work for decades, statistics like this continue to unsettle me. We have such a long way to go in our prevention efforts because we know that for every existing image there are multiple other children and youth being victimized in similar ways.
Recent reports have made clear that children continue to be separated from their parents and caregivers at the southern U.S. border, despite an official end to the Administration’s zero-tolerance policy. By our government’s own definition, these actions constitute undeniable child abuse. Prevent Child Abuse America’s mission is to prevent the abuse and neglect of every child. As such, we implore the President and legislators to work together to change this practice now.
At Prevent Child Abuse America, we envision a world where no child ever experiences the horrific atrocities recounted by the hundreds of courageous athletes who fell victim to Larry Nassar’s calculated acts of sexual abuse. Yesterday, Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released findings of their 18-month investigation into the handling of allegations of sexual misconduct within the governance structure of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USA Gymnastics, leading to their introduction of the bipartisan Empowering Olympic and Amateur Athletes Act of 2019.
Chicago—Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) announced today that its signature evidence-based home visiting program, Healthy Families America (HFA), has received the highest rating—“well-supported”—from the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse. Developed by the US Department of Health and Human Services in accordance with the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) of 2018, the clearinghouse systematically reviews research and evaluates programs and services intended to provide enhanced support to children and families, including mental health, substance abuse and parenting assistance, and prevent foster care placements nationwide.
The FFPSA, for the first time ever, enables funds typically reserved for “after-the-fact” intervention services to be used for upstream strategies such as home visiting.
“Our model is rooted in science that shows early nurturing relationships are the foundation for healthy development and lifelong well-being,” explained HFA National Director of Operations Kathleen Strader. “We’re pleased that the clearinghouse recognizes the significance and value of our proactive approach and the positive impact it has on children, families, and communities across the country.”
The clearinghouse is an objective, rigorous, and transparent source of information on evidence-based programs and services. More than 360 unique responses from key stakeholders and input from the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare helped determine the first twelve services and programs considered for review by the clearinghouse, which also includes two other evidence-based home visiting programs, Nurse-Family Partnership and Parents as Teachers.
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.
Today, my first day at Prevent Child Abuse America, marks the beginning of a new chapter in my professional life—one that’s accompanied by great excitement, as well as deliberate reflection and anticipation.
Chicago—Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) announced today that after a nationwide search its board of directors has selected Dr. Melissa Merrick as the organization’s next president and chief executive officer. Merrick brings more than 18 years of clinical, research and leadership experience related to the etiology, course and prevention of child abuse and neglect. Merrick currently serves as a senior epidemiologist at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and will begin with PCA America on July 15.
“We’re pleased to have found an individual so uniquely qualified to assume leadership of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization focused on the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect,” said PCA America Board Chair Andrea Robertson. “Dr. Merrick has strategically framed the prevention of early adversity as an urgent public health need, directly connected to positive child welfare, social and economic outcomes in her work at CDC. We’re thrilled she’ll be leading the next chapter of PCA America’s important work.”
“PCA America’s dedication to abuse and neglect prevention through the promotion of safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children and its network of state chapters can propel true data-driven prevention action,” explained Merrick. “This infrastructure and the organization’s evidence-based approach are among the critical factors that will advance the next generation of prevention work and ensure the conditions for strong and thriving children, families and communities across the country. I’m eager to begin this exc
