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Child abuse and neglect prevention: is more than a funding stream.

Article Excerpt
Child abuse and neglect prevention often invokes the notion of children's trust funds, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, and other funding streams that support the critical work of preventing the abuse and neglect of our nation's children. The work of the professionals who manage these funds is critical to the overall ability of our nation to promote the healthy development of children. These dedicated professionals, however, cannot, and should not, solely be held accountable for a responsibility that belongs to every adult and community in America.

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Our thinking about prevention must shift from how it is paid for to a comprehensive national policy to ensure that all children have the ability to live in safe, stable and loving environments regardless of where the child lives, attends school or how much income the family has. A blueprint to enable this policy change involves a 180-degree shift in thinking from policies that deal with abuse and neglect after they take place to policies that focus on preventing their occurrence. To accomplish this, six steps must occur:

* Step One: Help the public recognize and understand the connection between child abuse and neglect and other social ills;

* Step Two: Establish a national child abuse and neglect prevention policy;

* Step Three: Analyze existing funding sources and develop...

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