Table Talk Thursday: General Resources for Child Abuse

Myrna Alphonse has put together a list of general resources for child abuse. It would a good idea to print these out or at the very least bookmark them for future reference.

General Resources for Child Abuse

National Hotlines
CHILDHELP USA® National Child Abuse HotlineToll-free: 1-800-422-4453 (24 hours)(This is a national hotline that also reaches Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.)

The Child Abuse Hotline dot Com
1-888-649-6905

National Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-4-A-Child

Rape Abuse & Incest National Network
1-800-656-HOPE
___________________________________________

National Agencies

Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesACF promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities. Through its Children’s Bureau, ACF assists states in the delivery of child welfare services. Its Web site presents related initiatives, statistics, ACF programs, funding, and information systems.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/

American Humane Association (AHA)AHA works to protect children and animals from cruelty, abuse, and neglect. In addition to holding training conferences, AHA operates the National Resource Center on the Link Between Violence to People and Animals.
http://www.americanhumane.org/
Child Welfare Information Gateway The Gateway offers publications, statistics, and searchable databases for professionals and others interested in child abuse and neglect and child welfare.
http://www.childwelfare.gov/
Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) CWLA serves abused and neglected children and their families. Services include child abuse prevention and treatment, youth programs, residential treatment, child daycare, and family preservation.
http://www.cwla.org/
Childhelp® Childhelp® is dedicated to the treatment and prevention of child abuse. The Web site includes information on nationwide facilities, helpful links, Childhelp programs, the National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD), and child abuse reports.
http://www.childhelp.org/
Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) CDF represents America’s children, particularly low-income, minority, and disabled children. CDF goals are to educate the Nation regarding the needs of children and to encourage preventive investments in children.
http://www.childrensdefense.org/
Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public WebsiteThis online, searchable database of sex offenders is the result of a cooperative effort between the state agencies hosting public sexual offender registries and the Federal Government. The Federal site centralizes the different sex offender registries built and maintained by State and territories and provides real-time access to public sex offender data nationwide with a single Internet search.
This Web site allows parents and concerned citizens to search existing public state and territory sex offender registries beyond their own communities.
http://www.nsopw.gov/Core/Conditions.aspx
Jacob Wetterling Foundation The Foundation works to protect children from sexual exploitation and abduction. The Web site provides information in sections tailored to parents and caregivers, educators and community leaders, kids, and teens.
http://www.jwrc.org/
Kempe Children’s Center The Center provides fundraising, education, parental resources, clinical services, research, and advocacy efforts to end child abuse and neglect.
http://www.kempe.org/
LOCATER®, Lost Child Alert Technology Resource LOCATER, a national program from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to distribute advanced computer systems and a cutting-edge web-based program to law enforcement agencies to rapidly distribute images and information about missing-child cases in poster formats.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)The Center works to locate and recover missing children and raises public awareness about ways to prevent child abduction, molestation, and sexual exploitation. NCMEC offers a 24-hour, toll-free hotline,1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678, TDD: 800-826-7653), a CyberTipline to collect leads from the public, and a Web site that details all of their services, including their LOCATER® program for distributing resources to speed the dissemination of posters of missing children.
http://www.locaterposters.org/
National Children’s Alliance National Children’s Alliance (formerly the National Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers) provides training, technical assistance, and networking opportunities to communities seeking to plan, establish, and improve children’s advocacy centers.
http://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/
National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (NCASAA) NCASAA provides advocacy, public education, and resources for CASA programs across the country. The association also trains CASA volunteers, who work to find safe, permanent homes for abused and neglected children.
http://www.nationalcasa.org/
Prevent Child Abuse America Prevent Child Abuse America promotes prevention strategies as well as providing advocacy, programs, resources, and answers to commonly asked questions about child abuse.
http://www.preventchildabuse.org/index.shtml
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) RAINN operates a 24-hour telephone hotline (1-800-656-HOPE) and an Online Hotline for victims of sexual assault. The secure web-based hotline provides a safe, secure, and anonymous place for victims to get help online. RAINN also works to promote education and prevention of sexual assault, compiles and shares links to Legal Resources, including the State Mandatory Regulations regarding children and the elderly.
http://www.rainn.org/
Witness Justice Witness Justice provides trauma victims and their loved ones with resources that promote physical, psychological, and spiritual healing. The site features access to experts, message boards, and other print and electronic victim resources.
http://www.witnessjustice.org/

Resources derived from: The Office for Victims of Crime on 8/20/09
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/help/ca.htm

Myrna Alphonse is a career nanny/parent consultant of 19 years transitioning to the counseling field. She specializes in families in crisis by bringing calm to chaos. Myrna resides in Washington, DC.