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.
Michael Axelrod says the most important reason to prevent abuse is to improve the lives of children. Read about the benefits to society that extend beyond children.
Review COVID-19 resources developed by Doris Duke Fellows and members of PCA America’s chapter network with an emphasis on information to help parents and caregivers, and programs and professionals.
Child Welfare Information Gateway promotes the safety, permanency, and well-being of children, youth, and families by connecting child welfare, adoption, and related professionals as well as the public to information, resources, and tools covering topics on child welfare, child abuse and neglect, out-of-home care, adoption, and more.
This research shows that Americans do not see each other (or themselves) accurately when it comes to issues of child abuse and neglect. By closing misperception gaps it is possible to change and improve actual behavioral and attitudinal norms.
Chicago—Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) announced today the release of A Call to Action for Policymakers and Advocates: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Legislation in the States, a new report detailing the need for executive and legislative efforts in all 50 states to prevent child sexual abuse. The 116-page report, authored by Jetta Bernier, executive director of MassKids, the Massachusetts chapter of PCA America and site of the Enough Abuse Campaign, documents specific policies geared towards the prevention of sexual abuse of children and youth in schools and youth organizations nationwide.
Our Partner Lurie Children’s Hospital Launches the new app, called LCAST (Lurie Children’s Child Injury Plausibility Assessment Support Tool) aims to increase earlier recognition of abuse in babies and children under 4 years of age who have bruises, with the hope of decreasing the incidence of severe injury and death from child abuse in this age group.
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 negle