Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina supports the development of safe, stable, nurturing relationships for children in their families and communities to prevent child abuse and neglect. Founded in 1979, Prevent Child Abuse NC is based in Morrisville and serves the entire state. Read on to learn more about the impact of this Center Member and the role each of us can play in helping to make great childhoods happen!
What has your organization learned through partnering and collaboration to achieve your mission?
We know that prevention happens in partnership and in local communities across North Carolina. We cannot do our work alone – it takes a network of committed child advocates who understand that there are many sectors, policies, and programs needed to build great childhoods. We’re committed to working in partnership because everyone has a role to play in building safe, stable, nurturing environments where children and families can thrive.
What strides has your organization made towards achieving a more equitable society? What have been your lessons learned?
In 2019, we started working with CounterPart consultants to engage in strategic racial equity capacity building. We wanted to begin this work to deepen our understanding and begin to think more strategically about how using a racial equity lens can not only strengthen our work but also have an impact on the systems and families served by our programs and services. Our enduring commitment will make all the difference as Prevent Child Abuse NC seeks to become a racially conscious organization and do racial equity work to more effectively serve its constituency.
What programs, events, initiatives, or services showcase your organization's commitment to excellence?
At Prevent Child Abuse NC (PCANC), we focus on upstream investments in programs, strategies, and policies that are backed by science and are proven to prevent child abuse and neglect before it ever occurs. Through investment in innovative programs, we build capacity at the state and local level to build safe, stable, and nurturing environments for all children and families. We ensure that NC’s citizens and professionals have the most effective and up-to-date tools possible to prevent child abuse and neglect before it occurs; we connect child advocates and professionals through the Prevention Action Network; we build capacity at the local level for effective implementation of parenting education programs; and mobilize communities to take action in building plans to reduce child maltreatment. We know that we have to do things differently if we want to see positive changes for our community.
How has your organization innovated or adapted to meet growing or changing demands placed on your organization?
As the public's understanding about Adverse Childhood Experiences, the Protective Factors, resilience, equity, trauma, and effective strategies to prevent child abuse and neglect increases, our work strategies shift to align with community and partner needs. We recently launched Connections Matter NC, an evidence-informed, community-based initiative that explores how the connections we make in life profoundly impact the brain’s ability to grow and our own individual abilities to cope and thrive. We're excited about what's in store in the coming years for child maltreatment prevention as social norms around who plays a role in building more supportive communities and strong families are actively taking root in North Carolina. As this vital work continues to charge forward, we're ready to adapt and change along with it to achieve the best outcomes for children and ultimately, all of us.
Check out PCANC's video, "Connections Matter!"
