Our Work
As part of our work to engage North Dakotans in active support for healthy, nurturing families and communities, we offer several programs covering the following focus areas:
Public awareness and community education
Training and technical assistance
Coordination of services
Strategic partnerships
Prevention advocacy
Our primary prevention programs seek to curb abuse and neglect before it happens. We educate caregivers and professionals in helping to strengthen families, and guide community members on how to support children and families. Please browse through the menu of programs below for specific information.
Child Abuse Prevention Month
Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month is a time to observe and celebrate the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect—and to promote the social and emotional wellbeing of children and families during the month of April.
Authentic Voices
Authentic Voices is an advocacy coalition formed by survivors of childhood maltreatment, friends, family members, and citizens who want to raise their voice on behalf of children. The coalition addresses the prevention of child abuse and neglect at the community level by amplifying the voices of survivors and equipping advocates with tools.
Maternal, Infant & Early Childhood Home Visiting
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program provides voluntary, evidenced-based home visiting for at risk pregnant women and families with children. Home visits in the first years of a child’s life help prevent child abuse and neglect, supports positive parenting, improves maternal and child health, and promotes child development and school readiness.
CDC/HOP
Healthy Outcomes Program
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s High Obesity Program funded North Dakota State University (NDSU) for the implementation of evidence-based strategies guided by community expertise to increase access to healthy foods and physical activity in counties with an adult obesity rate of more than 40%. In North Dakota, Rolette and Sioux Counties were identified as those counties with an adult obesity rate of 40%. Due to the Indigenous Population within these counties, NDSU chose to collaborate with Prevent Child Abuse North Dakota for their expertise working with Indigenous communities.
The Healthy Outcomes Program, established in 2018, seeks to improve access to healthy food and health-promoting environments using community engagement and culture as overarching strategies to reduce health disparities. We are currently in the third year of the five-year grant and have helped establish Coalitions in each county to help us improve access to healthy and traditional food systems while also increasing opportunities for culturally informed physical activity.
Period of PURPLE Crying
Designed for parents of newborns, The Period of PURPLE Crying is an educational program that emphasizes the dangers of Shaken Baby Syndrome. It supports caregivers in their understanding of early increased infant crying, and aims to reduce the incidence of shaken baby syndrome/abusive head trauma.
Handle With Care
Handle With Care is a program that enables law enforcement to notify school districts when they encounter a child at a traumatic scene, so the school staff and mental healthcare providers can then utilize trauma-sensitive training. The program promotes safe and supportive homes, and communities that protect children and help them heal and thrive.
Alliance for Children’s Justice
The Alliance for Children’s Justice is a multi-disciplinary task force of North Dakota professionals and people concerned about the abuse and neglect of children.
North Dakota Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Task Force
The purpose of the North Dakota Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Task Force is to develop and implement a comprehensive statewide approach to the prevention of child sexual abuse. See House Bill 1237 to learn more. The Task Force is made up of a dedicated team of experienced professionals committed to preventing child sexual abuse across the state of North Dakota.
The Task Force has four strategic goals, and those are:
The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Task Force will seek to end child sexual abuse by developing and implementing a primary prevention strategy for the state of North Dakota.
The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Task Force will strengthen the support provided to children and families participating in the interview, investigation, and prosecution processes.
The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Task Force will strengthen the network of trauma-informed services for children, adult survivors, and family members impacted by child sexual abuse.
The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Task Force will strengthen the network of providers who support the needs and behavioral changes of offenders.