The Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect
Our vision is to create a world without abuse and neglect
The Kempe Mission
The Kempe Center was the first of its kind, established in 1972 to better understand and prevent child maltreatment and to serve affected children and their families. For the past 48 years, Kempe has promoted understanding, knowledge and best practices to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect locally, nationally and internationally.
Today we honor our legacy while looking ahead for ways to transform our field. It is our mission to improve the lives of children and families. We believe that abuse and neglect are preventable and people are resilient. We are curious. We take a stand. We test assumptions. Our leadership in advocacy, research, education and clinical work drives innovative strategies that transform the field. Through our work we strengthen families, communities and the systems that serve them. We are a catalyst, connecting people, information and best practices to translate knowledge into action.
Our vision is a world without abuse and neglect.
What's happening at Kempe?
Join the CARE Network as a Designated Provider!
Expertise to conduct medical exams and behavioral health assessments to evaluate suspected cases of child abuse and neglect is extremely limited. The CARE Network's aim is to increase local capacity by building appropriate infrastructure to provide technical assistance and resources through a state-funded program that develops and maintains a standardized, coordinated response to suspected child abuse and neglect through a network of designated healthcare providers.
Summer Research Institute: Save the Date! August 2 - 6, 2021
The Kempe Interdisciplinary Summer Research Institute (held virtually this year) aims to better prepare researchers to apply for NIH and other support for their work and to ensure that practitioners are using the best evidence available to structure interventions that are contributing to the evidence base through well-designed evaluations. Instructors include faculty from Kempe and several other leading research organizations and universities. Register Now!
Connect with Us to Learn More About Kempe!
Connect with us on Facebook @kempecenter and on LinkedIn @the-kempe-center! Join our virtual community to connect with your fellow humble helpers and stay up-to-date on the latest multi-disciplinary resources from Kempe Center professionals and our partners! Join our mail list below to learn more about upcoming events and offerings from the Kempe Center. If you need to contact a Kempe Center professional please email: Kempe.Center@ucdenver.edu. We look forward to hearing from you!
Register Now for Kempe's International Virtual Conference A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare!
OCTOBER 4 – 7, 2021
Since early 2020, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on health disparities, poverty, and societal inequities. Shortly after, global protests awakened our collective and universal consciousness of systemic and institutional racism. Around the globe, the past year has been a period of action and social connection. People have taken a stand and called for intense equality and fairness. In response, The Kempe Center launched the hugely successful Inaugural A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference last fall. This event was attended by over 1400 participants from 20 different countries that included contributions from children and young people, family members and child and family serving professionals from around the globe. On October 4-7, 2021 (North America, Europe, Africa) Kempe will reconvene this international community of practice striving to create change in child welfare by connecting communities that are lifting up child and family well-being and social and community justice. Join this international community of practice as we work to raise the collective consciousness of the impact of poverty, racism, oppression, othering, and inequality on the lives of children and families in child welfare systems. Contribute to the change through dialogue, thought leadership, innovative practice, and accessible research. Take action to confront and change oppressive laws and institutions by shifting power and decision-making back to children, family, and community. Register now and join the change! #kempeaction2021
REGISTER NOW!
Where the Light Beams (Part 3): What is Your Dream for A New Child Welfare?
Thursday, September 23rd • 10 - 11 AM (MST)
In the last two Radio Kempe podcast episodes of Where the Light Beams, Kempe's Virtual Village introduced you to Amnoni Meyers, an advocate for elevating the voice of those with lived experience in child welfare. We followed her journey from the foster care system to a career advocating for children and we were inspired by her call to action to act from a place of dignity and respect by using young people's voices to fuel change in the child welfare system. What if we acknowledged that we do not have all of the answers? What if we decided that the people we are trying to save have the ability to save themselves? What would it look like to co-create with these communities? Now join us for the third part of this series as we convene for a special Kempe Café to discuss these difficult questions raised in our last Radio Kempe podcast episode. We are grateful to our partner The National Child Traumatic Stress Network who helped make this happen. Register now to virtually engage in dialogue and to be inspired by provocative questions to co-create and reimagine a better child welfare together!
REGISTER NOW!
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Pathways to Prevention Webinar Series:
Translating Child Maltreatment and ACEs Prevention Research into Practice
We are partnering with the Program for Injury Prevention, Education & Research to connect prevention workers with the latest science on protecting children. This program provides free monthly webinars designed for those working in public health organizations, social services, child welfare, and the non-profit sector. These virtual learning experiences feature researchers working on various topics in the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect, as well as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Those working in prevention can learn more about the latest scientific research to apply in their work, while also helping to inform researchers about on-the-ground issues and priorities. These webinars are held on the third Wednesday of the month at 11:00 a.m. MT (10:00 a.m. PT, 1:00 p.m. ET).
VIEW THE FULL SCHEDULE
Radio Kempe
Radio Kempe is excited to bring you a special three-part series this September. Join us throughout the month for two podcast episodes and one interactive virtual Café on September, 23rd as we introduce you to Amnoni Myers, an advocate for elevating the voice of those with lived experience in child welfare.
Where the Light Beams Part 2: Amnoni Calls Us Forth! In the last podcast episode of Where the Light Beams, Radio Kempe introduced you to Amnoni Myers and her journey as she transitioned from the foster care system to a career inspired by her experiences advocating for children. Join us for this second episode and be inspired by her call to action to act from a place of dignity and respect by actively listening to young people's voices and utilizing their individual experiences to fuel change in the child welfare system. We know that there is no one path to success for children. Amnoni calls us to meet young people where they are to determine the actions that are right for them. What if we acknowledged that we do not have all of the answers? What if we decided that the people we are trying to save have the ability to save themselves? What would it look like to co-create with these communities, and how would this perspective help us serve with dignity and respect? Tune in to join the conversation! A big thanks to Amnoni and our friends at The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, who helped make this happen.
LISTEN NOW
Hear My Voice: The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States
This moving picture book for older children and families (written by Professor Warren Binford, Director for Pediatric Law, Ethics & Policy, The Kempe Center and W.H. Lea for Justice Endowed Chair in Pediatric Law, Ethics and Policy, CU Anschutz) introduces a difficult topic, amplifying the voices and experiences of immigrant children detained at the Mexico/US border by using the children's actual words. Every day, children in migration are detained at the US-Mexico border. They are scared, alone, and their lives are in limbo. Hear My Voice/Escucha mi voz shares the stories of 61 these children, from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Mexico, ranging in age from five to seventeen—in their own words from actual sworn testimonies. Befitting the spirit of the project, the book is in English on one side; then flip it over, and there's a complete Spanish version.