Provide forum for interagency cooperation

Provide

Promote public awareness of abuse and neglect

Promote

Facilitate training of professionals

Facilitate

Develop improved services to families and victims

Develop

Encourage and facilitate community support

Encourage and facilitate

Forum for cooperation

• Coordination in prevention, treatment, and legal processing of child abuse/neglect cases

Facilitate Training

• Detection, treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect must be a focus

Promote awareness

• Abuse and neglect of children, resources available for treatment and intervention, community support for effectiveness

Strengthening neighborhood environments

• Social relationships among people and families
• Increase quality of neighborhoods and strengthen the social fabric among families

Neighborhood improvement initiatives

• Deterioration of housing
• Unsafe physical environments lead to higher rates of child maltreatment
• Neighbors help each other to strengthen families

Volunteer programs

• Reduction of social isolation among families with children
• Strengthening of neighborhoods due to families helping each other and positive models

Better outcomes are achieved in volunteer programs when they have a high level of training, supervision and consultation resources available to them.

Support the principle of neighbor helping neighbor by giving individuals the opportunities to:

• Develop new skills
• Broaden their perspectives
• Achieve greater cultural competence and understanding
• Develop possible career interest
• Foster compassion in themselves and others

Life skills training

Preparation for parenthood

Self protection training

Educational services for community

Help for at risk families

Coping with stress

Coping with crisis

Making decisions

Learning socialization

Building positive self image

Normal sexuality

• Healthy sexual relationships
• Ability to communicate needs and functions of the body

Child development

• Developmental stages of children
• Healthy expectations and realistic views of children

Parenting skills

• Roles and responsibilities expected by society when it comes to parenting
• Discipline, chores, allowances, budgeting, nutrition, etc.

Community awareness through workshops, self help groups, adult education.

Acquaint participants with problems facing abusive parents, educate them as to resources available to combat abuse or neglect, engage them in a discussion of how to prevent child maltreatment in the future.

Adult education program for parents can be offered to provide child development, parenting skills, budgeting, stress reduction, problem solving skills, etc.

Goal to give parents and families control over their own lives and decrease likelihood of abuse.

Minimize family stresses and strengthen their coping abilities.

Schools can offer evening programs for parents who work or for those who need extra relief from childcare responsibilities.

Late afternoon recreation programs for adolescents may alleviate stress that is commonly felt before dinner hour.

Availability of “crisis nurseries” can be provided to give parents temporary relief from childcare.

• Gives them time away from their children on a “drop in” basis.
• High school students assist in these nurseries.

The most effective parenting �models focus on:

Improving coping skills

Facilitating bonding and communication with children

Increasing ability to approach helping resources

Educating about child development

Prenatal/early intervention