Strong Communities for Children

​The U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect developed a new neighborhood-based strategy for child protection; this strategy was grounded in the belief that, to be effective, child protection must be a part of everyday life.

The U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect reconvened in Colorado in April to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the release of one of its four reports calling for a new approach in this country’s efforts to protect children. It suggested a new, child-centered community-based approach to child protection. The School of Medicine is launching an effort in Colorado Springs to put the board’s recommended strategy, called Strong Communities for Children, into practice. It calls for community engagement from volunteers and organizations. Gary Melton, PhD, professor of pediatrics and associate director for community development and social policy at the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, is coordinating the effort and will be working with leaders at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. We know this approach works. It was implemented in Greenville, S.C., and the result was safer children, parents with better support, and a significant decrease in reports of child maltreatment.

Strong Communities for Children

Reports of the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect

Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai, honored "for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education."