April’s Message from our President and CEO

This month, I’m thrilled to introduce Prevent Child Abuse (PCA) America’s revamped e-newsletter. Each issue will focus on the impact stories you’ve asked for–and provide concrete ways for you to get involved to help children and families. We also launched the first phase of our refreshed PCA America website. This user-friendly platform is designed to better connect with our community, provide resources, and amplify our mission. I encourage you to visit us online and check out the information, support, stories, and advocacy we’re sharing–all dedicated to preventing child abuse and promoting the well-being of children and families.

April shines a light on a very important cause–Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month–a time when we raise awareness and support around preventing child abuse and neglect. This year’s theme is “Building A Hopeful Future, Together.” Spring brings with it a sense of optimism, reinvigorating our prevention efforts.

During CAP Month, and throughout the rest of the year, PCA America strives to shift the focus from intervention to prevention, building a narrative of hope for children and families through collaboration and the creation of an ecosystem of primary prevention. But an ecosystem is only as good as its ability to sustain what’s living within it. We are centering families in decision-making to develop cross-sector solutions that build family resilience and support healthy, positive childhoods and hopeful futures for all children.

This spring during the federal legislative season, we continued to advocate for evidence-informed, equitable, and family-centered policies so that all families have the necessary resources and support to help their children thrive. Specifically, at the March congressional briefing we focused on bills to end child poverty, increase support for childcare, expand the child tax credit, and improve data and programs to prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). You can learn more about our 2024 State and Federal policy priorities on our website.

Additionally, on May 22nd from 11:00am – 2:00pm CT we are hosting our much-anticipated Annual Luncheon – Prevention in Partnership at the Chicago Club where we will explore how policies can strengthen family economic stability and mobility while reducing child abuse and neglect. Attendees will hear from Bryan Samuels, Executive Director of Chapin Hall at the University Chicago, Dr. Melissa Merrick, President and CEO of PCA America, and parents from across the region about the impact of critical policy support for families. Individual Tickets and Sponsorships are still available.

Our affiliates in 10 states have successfully completed our strength-based chartering process, helping to extend PCA America’s mission throughout the United States. And three new provisional state chapter affiliates–Heal PA in Pennsylvania, the New Mexico Children’s Alliance in New Mexico, and Canopy Children’s Solution in Mississippi–were welcomed into the PCA America network. Over the next two years, we will work closely with these partners to build capacity at the state level so they can obtain full chartered status in 2026.

Love is a cornerstone of our human experience, and it is also the foundation of the work we do here at PCA America. Our powerful network of prevention advocates and practitioners from coast to coast is poised to provide families with what they need before they are in crisis. As we look to the next several months, we are excited about what will bloom into being–not just for the children and families we serve, but for the whole communities who will benefit from children who are surrounded by supportive, caring networks that are invested in them.

Prevention is possible with partners like you. Thank you.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Dr. Melissa Merrick
President and CEO, PCA America