Task Force on Child Abuse Prevention

The NC IOM Task Force on Child Abuse Prevention is charged with developing a statewide strategic plan to prevent child abuse and neglect. In the past, most of the attention and state resources have focused on investigating cases of abuse and neglect and providing child welfare services. While child protective services are important, the goal of this task force is to develop a vision for preventing child maltreatment from occurring in the first place. To this end, the Task Force will develop a statewide plan to prevent child maltreatment. The plan will:

• Include different levels of intervention, including universal, selected and indicated programs that target children, families, and communities that are based on empirical research (to the extent possible).
• Establish indicators to help identify progress towards the goal of reducing child maltreatment, along with an evaluation timetable to measure progress towards this goal.
• Identify a state agency or agencies that has preventing child maltreatment as one of its principal responsibilities, along with a set of recommendations on the resources needed to carry out this responsibility.
• Focus governmental and nongovernmental organizations on programs and systems of care that will reduce the incidence of child maltreatment.
• Identify ways to maximize existing funding or retool existing programs to prevent child maltreatment.
• Examine gaps in existing programs or resources needed to prevent child maltreatment along with identifying possible funding sources.
• Identify additional measures that more accurately reflect the incidence of child maltreatment and prevention efforts.

Carmen Hooker Odom, Secretary of the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS), and Marian Earls, MD, FAAP, Medical Director of Guilford Child Health, Inc., will co-chair the Task Force. The Task Force includes representatives of state government, including legislators, NC DHHS Division Directors, NC Juvenile Justice Commission and Department of Public Instruction, as well as county agencies, non-profit service and advocacy organizations, health professionals, the faith community and university professionals. The Task Force is a collaborative effort between the NC Institute of Medicine and Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina, and is being supported by a grant from The Duke Endowment.