April 2003Vol. 4, No. 3Child Abuse Prevention Initiative and Website Launched

April 2003 marks the 20th anniversary of the first Presidential Proclamation designating April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has announced that one of the major initiatives for the Department is a Prevention Initiative. At the Secretary's level, the focus is on preventing diabetes, obesity, and heart disease in women. At the Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) level, the Initiative is an opportunity to work together with communities across the country to keep children safe, provide the support that families need to stay together, and raise our children and youth to be happy, secure, and stable adults.

Assistant Secretary Wade F. Horn formally launched the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Initiative at a press conference just before opening night at the 14th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect. The conference was held in St. Louis, MO, the week of March 31. The conference was a keystone event of the Initiative, as was the debut at the conference of the 2003-2004 Child Abuse Prevention Initiative website (www.calib.com/nccanch/prevention). (Note: current Prevention Month information and resources are available at http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/topics/prevention/index.cfm.) The site, based on the 2003 Child Abuse Prevention Community Resource Packet and poster, provides additional information and resources to help promote child abuse prevention activities in communities during Child Abuse Prevention Month and throughout the year. New information will be added to the website frequently. Be sure to bookmark the What's New page for updates (note: this link is no longer available).

Other components of the ACYF initiative include two new publications, some discretionary funding to be reserved for prevention projects, and the Child Welfare Option legislation proposal that allows States more flexibility in upfront spending for IV-E dollars.

Developed in partnership with leading national organizations and the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, the website offers funding information, prevention-related publications, a press kit to promote the Prevention Initiative in the media, calendars of prevention activities for organizations and individuals, and other resources. A PDF version of the packet and poster also are available on the website at www.calib.com/nccanch/prevention/order/index.cfm. (Note: current resources can be ordered at http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/topics/prevention/prev_packet_2005.cfm.)

To order a free print copy of the 2003 Child Abuse Prevention Community Resource Packet or poster, contact:
National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information
Website: http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov
Phone: (800) 394-3366
Email: prevention@caliber.com

Related Item

Read more in "2003 Child Abuse Prevention Community Resource Packet" in the March 2003 issue of Children's Bureau Express.