Summary of Area 1

Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect (ages 0 to 5)

Note: Beginning in January 2008, the Foundation no longer will fund in this area. More information

What We Fund
Reflecting the Foundation's interest in protecting young children, this funding area aims to prevent child abuse and neglect, as well as other forms of intentional injury, for children ages 0-5. Successful prevention efforts require collaboration among a wide range of groups, and a comprehensive look at all factors contributing to maltreatment. The Foundation supports programs that 1) have the following characteristics and 2) are working in coordination with their respective county's Differential Response¹ plan.

Key Characteristics of Effective Programs
The effectiveness of various prevention approaches continues to be debated. However, it is generally agreed that important features of prevention programs² include the following characteristics:

• Family-centered -- focused on the whole family as a unit

• Comprehensive -- taking into account the variety of factors affecting a family's well-being

• Community-based -- shaped to fit local conditions and to provide opportunity for community input/control

• Culturally competent -- having staff who can understand and work with cultural differences, and respond to language needs of participants

• Flexible -- responding to emerging needs

• Outcome oriented -- having enumerated measurable desired results.
  

These are websites (listed in alphabetical order) that Foundation staff have found useful. The list is by no means exhaustive, and we encourage you to email us with other resources.

California Attorney General's Crime and Violence Prevention Center - Child Abuse Research

Child Trends

Child Welfare Information Gateway

Child Welfare League of America

Children's Bureau

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids

Future of Children

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Prevent Child Abuse America

Promising Practices Network

Zero to Three

Footnotes:

1) Differential Response is a strategy that creates a new child welfare intake and service delivery structure that allows agencies to respond to child abuse and neglect reports in a more flexible and appropriate manner. It targets families that have not yet abused their children, but are at some risk for doing so. These families are assessed for the level of risk to the children and offered appropriate services.

2) McCroskey, J. and Meezan, W., "Family-Centered Services: Approaches and Effectiveness," The Future of Children, Vol 8, Number 1, Spring 1998. Los Altos, CA: The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.