2018 CAPTA Congressional Briefing Event

To respond to policymakers’ questions regarding research on child maltreatment prevention, the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network hosted a congressional briefing and produced a written brief. The briefing described research to date on preventing child abuse and neglect, then highlighted case examples from states implementing prevention programs that aim to coordinate evidence-based programs across local health and human services. The panel described (1) research on prevention, including costs associated with NOT preventing child maltreatment, (2) an example of local, multi-systemic coordination for primary prevention, and (3) an example of a targeted intervention that diverts non-maltreatment cases toward prevention services and out of child protective services. Subsequently, a former child protective service worker and a child abuse survivor described how their experiences correspond with community-based, prevention strategies.