The Partnership For Children (PFC), Kansas City, recently released the KIDS COUNT in Missouri 2012 Data Book documenting the status of  children in all 114 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis.  The annual publication is a collaborative project of the PFC through a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis (OSEDA) -University of Missouri, the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF), and many other public and private organizations from across the state.  The book was released by PFC and OSEDA April 2 at a press conference in conjunction with the CTF Conference on Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention in Jefferson City.

The resource provides information on measures of child well-being covering areas such as health, education, financial security, juvenile justice and child protection.   Data for the report is compiled from more than 80 federal, state, county and municipal sources by OSEDA.  Primary funding for the project is provided by Annie E. Casey and the Children’s Trust Fund.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Child Welfare Information Gateway in conjunction with the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services Children’s  Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect and the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) is offering free copies of their 2013 Resource Guide Preventing Child Maltreatment and Promoting Well-Being:  A Network for Action.  The resource guide is developed for service providers and others who work to promote healthy families and prevent child abuse and neglect.  The Missouri Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) as the state CBCAP lead agency provides copies to each of their community prevention grant partners.   Participants at the 2013 CTF Prevention Conference on Child Abuse/Neglect also received a copy.

The booklet includes valuable information about the six protective factors that help reduce the risk of child maltreatment, strategies for engaging communities to support families, information about child abuse – risk factors, why it occurs, identifying and reporting maltreatment and supporting parents and children with a history of trauma.   Tip sheets for parents and caregivers are included in English and Spanish as well as a calendar of suggested activities to assist communities with child abuse prevention month planning.  The protective factors help lay the foundation for prevention by helping parents build resiliency and social connections, providing concrete support and resources, and providing parents with knowledge of parenting including the importance of nurturing, attachment and appropriate developmental ages and stages.

Organizations, volunteers, and child advocates are encouraged to use this resource guide in their community throughout the year to promote healthy families and educate others about the cost-saving benefits and positive economic impact of prevention.

The Partnership For Children (PFC), Kansas City, recently released the KIDS COUNT in Missouri 2011 Data Book documenting the status of  children in all 114 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis.  The annual publication is a collaborative project of the PFC through a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis (OSEDA) -University of Missouri, the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF), and many other public and private organizations from across the state.

The online resource provides information on measures of child well-being covering areas such as health, education, financial security, juvenile justice and child protection. The 2011 Data Book finds that during the most recent reporting period, Missouri made improvements in seven of the key KIDS COUNT indicators including a reduction in child abuse and neglect, infant mortality, child deaths, teen violent deaths, births to moms without a high school diploma, births to teens, and the high school drop out rate.  Two indicators, students enrolled in free/reduced lunch and out-of-home placement treatment entries, worsened, with one indicator (the percent of low birth weight infants) remaining unchanged.

Data for the report is compiled from more than 80 federal, state, county and municipal sources by OSEDA.  Primary funding for the project is provided by Annie E. Casey and the Children’s Trust Fund.

The National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds  is pleased to make available a series of free online training courses to support implementation of the Strengthening Families™ Protective Factors Framework in multiple settings. The program was developed through support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and ZERO TO THREE and in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Social Policy.   The curriculum includes 7 separate modules:

• Introduction to the Protective Factors
• Concrete Support in Times of Need
• Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
• Parental Resilience
• Social Connections
• Social and Emotional Competence
• Moving from Knowledge to Action: Wrap-up Course

Each module/course includes:

• Purpose and learning objectives for the course
• Definition and explanation of the protective factor
• Definition and explanation of program strategy (or strategies)
• Individualized Action Plan (IAP) work

In addition, each course includes a number of quizzes, activities and reflective questions.  With a mix of written text, video and audio clips and opportunities to interact with the material, the courses are designed to keep the learner engaged.   An online forum on the course site will allow learners to interact with each other, ask questions about what they are learning and respond to others’ questions.  Users will be able to print a portfolio that includes their responses to all questions and their Individualized Action Plan detailing changes they intend to make in their work with children and families as a result of what they learned.

Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work – A Resource for Action (pdf)

For more details about the online training courses, click here or click on the Protective Factors Training web button (right hand column).

The 2012 Resource Guide  Preventing Child Maltreatment and Promoting Well-Being:  A Network for Action is now available.  The annual resource is a collaboration of Federal partners, national organizations, and parents developed for service providers and others who work to promote healthy families, the well-being of children and prevent child maltreatment.  Locally, Missouri’s Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) as the state’s lead agency for the Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) federal program, provides copies to each of their community prevention grant partners. [Read more...]

The Administration for Children and Families recently released its latest annual report on child abuse and neglect.  Child Maltreatment 2010 shows a steady decline in the number of victims who suffered maltreatment for the fourth consecutive year.  As in past years, rates of abuse and neglect are highest among infants and young children.  Read or download the full report here.

The Missouri Child Fatality Review Program’s (CFRP) 2010 Annual Report is now available.  The report entitled, Preventing Child Deaths in Missouri, provides a statistical breakdown of child injuries and deaths both accidental and non-accidental by county and statewide.  It also contains helpful recommendations for keeping children safe and reducing the chances for injuries and/or fatalities from occurring.  Issued by the State Technical Assistance Team (STAT), Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS), the report provides information about Missouri’s Child Fatality Review Program and reflects the work of many dedicated professionals throughout the state who strive to improve and protect the lives of Missouri’s youngest citizens.

DSS Interim Director Brian Kinkade says, “Missouri’s CFRP remains one of the premier programs across the nation.  Multidisciplinary coordination and cooperation over the past nineteen years have contributed much to what we have learned and the successes we have achieved.”

The report indicates that in 2010, 915 child deaths were reported to the CFRP, a decrease of 140 deaths from the previous year.  Of those, eighty-six children died as a result of child abuse and neglect.

Production and printing costs for the report are made possible in part through a grant from the Missouri Children’s Trust Fund.  Current and previous reports can be accessed here.

The Parent’s Anonymous organization has launched a new resource for parents and others who care for children. It’s called the National Parent Helpline.  Individuals who are feeling alone or overwhelmed about a situation involving a child or young adult can call the helpline for guidance from a trained advocate who may offer the following:

• listen to you
• offer emotional support
• help you problem-solve
• support you in creating your own solutions
• encourage you to take care of yourself
• work with you to get connected to local services
• explore new resources for your family
• help you build on your own strengths

Call the helpline at 1-855-4A PARENT (1-855-427-2736) Monday-Friday, 8 am to 5pm Central Standard Time.

Communities and organization preparing to promote Child Abuse Prevention Month in April have a great resource in The Child Welfare Information Gateway. Their website features an entire section dedicated to 2011 National Child Abuse Prevention Month.  The site works to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect and actively engage communities and support families with the following resources:

• Tip sheets to distribute to parents and caregivers to address a particular parenting concern or question. Each tip sheet is available in English and Spanish.
• An activities calendar using the Five Protective Factors. The calendar provides child welfare professionals with activities they can do with families throughout the month that support children and families.
• Prevention Month widgets to post on your website.
• A video explaining how Child Welfare Information Gateway helps connect professionals with information and resources on preventing child abuse and neglect.

The site also features the Strengthening Families and Communities: 2011 Resource Guide. The guide is an evidence-based tool that helps promote key factors that prevent child abuse. It works to help parents build resiliency and social connections, thereby laying the foundation for prevention. Organizations, volunteers, and child advocates are encouraged to use this resource guide in their community throughout the year to promote healthy families and educate others about the cost-saving benefits and positive economic impact of prevention.