Welcome to THE Source of Information concerning child abuse prevention and family support.
Be sure and Check out the links to the left as well as the links below. It is our sincere desire that you will find the information you need here on one of these pages.
RCD Plans Information for Colloboratives
Family Resource Center grants awarded!
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month - Presidential Proclamation and Governor's Proclomation
April is Child Abuse Awareness month. West Virginia participates in Child Abuse Awareness activities with a Governor's Proclamation as well as various activities around the state. However, child abuse is a year round problem. Reaching out to children and families in our communities year round is the best awareness and prevention tool. It's Your Turn to Make a Difference!
Awareness of child abuse can be linked to preventing child abuse. Recognizing signs of stress in a family and responding to it can help every member of the community prevent child abuse. If we are aware of the people around us and offer support, encouragement, and an occasional helping hand we are preventing child abuse and strengthening families. Parenting is a hard job. Everyone needs help every once in a while. For more ideas, click Strengthening Families and Communities Guide or visit Prevent Child Abuse WV Back to top
What is Child Abuse Prevention?
CBCAP simply stands for Community Based Child Abuse Prevention. CBCAP is a piece of federal legislation and funding stream that WV utilizes to fund child abuse prevention programs. CBCAP programs were established by Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) Amendments of 1996 and most recently reauthorized in June of 2003. The purpose of the CBCAP Program is:
- to support community-based efforts to develop, operate, expand, enhance, and where appropriate, to network, initiatives aimed at the prevention of child abuse and neglect;
- to support networks of coordinated resources and activities to better strengthen and support families to reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect; and,
- to foster an understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of diverse populations in order to be effective in preventing and treating child abuse and neglect.
Grants are passed down to states through the Administration on Children and Families (ACF) to states, tribes, and U.S. Territories. Each federal grantee selects a lead agency to administer the dollars and manage the prevention network. The lead agency for WV is the WV Department of Health and Human Resources. The lead agency then manages the dollars, provides technical assistance, and coordinates and colloborates with other child serving systems to build a system of prevention.
Information on the history and background of the federal legislation can be located here. Back to Top
Strengthening Families and Protective Factors
Measuring something before it happens can be complicated. However, research tells us the best way to strengthen our families and prevent the abuse and neglect of children is by addressing the Protective Factors. Increasing protective factors in the families served by these programs leads to better outcomes for the families and the children in them. The Protective Factors and Strengthening Families are concepts that flow throughout WV's prevention programs. Back to Top
General Information
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Children and Families, oversees West Virginia's community based child abuse awareness and prevention grants. Child abuse awareness and prevention grants are administered according to the guidelines of the Federal CBCAP Program Instructions. Child abuse awareness and prevention grants are monitored by a Program Specialist in the Division of Children and Adult Services.
West Virginia funds four program areas:
Family Leadership First
Family Leadership First is a parent-organized and parent-governed initiative to promote the principles of family support and family-centered practice within public agencies. This initiative develops family leadership skills and promotes family involvement in decision-making and planning that affects the well-being of children and families in publicly funded processes. Family Leadership First also supports an initiative called West Virgnia Family Links. Family Leadership First works with individuals, and unites groups, to grow a network that links, supports and encourages families to speak for themselves and others in realizing their hopes and dreams. For more information, click here. Back to Top
In Home Family Education
In Home Family Education Programs are voluntary home visiting programs that 
include Parents as Teachers, Healthy Families America, and Maternal Infant Health Outreach Workers. Each delivers a range of supportive services to families with young children. Each program relies on home visiting staff to establish a supportive relationship with the families, provide a range of educational services, and link families to needed supportive services in the community. For more information and to find specific programs, click here. Back to Top
Partners in Prevention
Partners in Prevention (PIP) supports local child abuse prevention projects. PIP is based on the belief that preventing child abuse is everyone's business, and views the safety of children as the responsibility of not only professionals, but all members of the community. PIP aims to build strong communities that protect children and to connect these communities to form an effective statewide movement. For more information, click here. Back to Top
Partners in Prevention Team Leaders Fall 2011
Family Resource centers
Family Resource Centers bring together existing services in a single location such as a school or other neighborhood building. This comprehensive approach increases the accessibility of services, brings resources together in one place, provides family support and education, and allows the Centers to meet the community's needs. Our Family Resource Centers serve families pre-natal through age eighteen. Each Center offers a variety of services to reflect the diversity of the community needs.
Through a competitive process, Title IV-B family support funds were re-allocated back to the community through Family Resource Center Grants. Fifteen awards were made and services began July 1st. Six existing Starting Points Family Resource Centers were expanded and nine new programs funded. The programs include:
- Marshall County Family Resource Center
- Morgan County Starting Points Family Resource Center
- Pocahontas Family Education and Outreach Center
- Preston County Family Resource Center
- Tucker County Family Resource Center
- Mid-Town Family Resource Center in Parkersburg
- Lincoln County Starting Points Family Resource Center
- Brooke Hancock Family Resource Center
- Big Creek People In Action Family Resource Center in McDowelle County
- Wetzel County Center for Children and Families
- REACHH Family Resource Center in Summers County
- Wyoming County Family Resource Center
- Wayne County Starting Points Family Resource Center
- Marvin Gray Family Life Center in Huntington
- Marshall County Starting Points Family Resource Center
- Monongalia County Starting Points Family Resource Center and Shack Neighborhood House
- Home Ties Strengthening Families Center
- Upper Kanawha Valley Starting Points Family Resource Center
- Mercer County Starting Points Family Resource Center Back to Top
RCD Plan information for Colloboratives
Due Dates for Quarterly Reports
Summits and Colloboratives Contact Information
Information Packet for new colloborative member Add your RCD Plan to get them started!
Please contact us at childabuseprevention@wv.gov with your questions and comments.
