Unlike other public health issues, child abuse and neglect prevention has no “vaccine” or single solution to address this complex issue. It requires a multifaceted approach that shifts the focus to upstream solutions which prevent child abuse and neglect from happening in the first place, including:

 

• Innovative, Evidence-Based Programs and Practices that improve child well-being and promote healthy child development, strengthen families, and meet the unique needs of different communities, cultures, and populations;

• Family-Friendly Policies that support evidence-based programs and interventions that help keep families together, address the underlying causes that can contribute to child abuse and neglect, and provide supports to all families, especially those in high-risk communities;  

• Cutting-Edge Research that helps provide direction and advance the field, and that can be translated into practice; and

• Impactful Public Awareness that drives community engagement and understanding of the issues, promotes positive social norms and attitudes around the issues, and changes behaviors.

 

The 2019 Prevent Child Abuse America National Conference will examine these core components—innovative programs and practices, family-focused policies, cutting-edge research, and public awareness and engagement strategies—and provide the latest thinking to help drive the field toward upstream prevention so that every child has the opportunity to grow up safe and nurtured.