Building Community, Building Hope: A Community-Based Approach to Prevention

By Rosie Gomez, Child Welfare Program Specialist, Children's Bureau

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month , a time to remember that we all play a part in preventing child maltreatment. This year’s theme “Building Community, Building Hope,” recognizes that child abuse and neglect is a complex issue that requires responses across all levels of community in order to give hope to children and families.

At the Office of Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN), we know that there is tremendous power in communities to solve the problem of child abuse and neglect. The Community-Based Child Abuse Program (CBCAP) was established to support community-based efforts to develop, operate, expand, enhance, and coordinate initiatives, programs, and activities to prevent child abuse and neglect. It was also established to support the coordination of resources and activities to better strengthen and support families to reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. Lastly, the CBCAP fosters understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of diverse populations to effectively prevent and treat child abuse and neglect.

To assist OCAN in its efforts to promote National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children's Bureau, offers a host of resources for professionals, advocates, service providers, and families. The 2016 Prevention Resource Guide: Building Community, Building Hope is developed annually in collaboration with the Children's Bureau, OCAN, FRIENDS National Center for CBCAP, Child Welfare Information Gateway, and a host of Federal and nonfederal partners. This Resource Guide offers many strategies to support service providers and communities in their efforts to prevent child abuse and promote well-being. In addition to the 2016 Prevention Resource Guide, the National Child Abuse Prevention Month website provides current publications, research, statistics, and connections to the latest resources on prevention.

Finally, to highlight the theme, an OCAN funded film, “Building Community, Building Hope,” was developed to show real-world collaborative solutions in action. The film highlights three innovative programs working to prevent and respond to child maltreatment by engaging parents and communities and forming the partnerships needed to ensure the safety and well-being of all children and families. We encourage communities to use this film to foster conversations about what we as a society can—and should—do to ensure children grow up to achieve their full potential, free from abuse and neglect. Share it with your staff, programs, partners, community, and policy makers.

Feel free to use or adapt the resources provided above to learn more about the role you can play to address child abuse and neglect.