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What It Will Take: Investing in Wisconsin's Future by Keeping Kids Safe Today

What It Will Take: Investing in Wisconsin's Future by Keeping Kids Safe Today is a series of reports that are the result of collaboration between the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF), Wisconsin’s state agency for the prevention of child maltreatment, and the Wisconsin Council on Children & Families (WCCF), a private, not-for-profit research and advocacy organization. The information presented in this report was further informed by research conducted by the state Department of Children & Families (DCF), and the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Institute for Research on Poverty.

Child Maltreatment Prevention: Where We Stand and Directions for the Future

Early experiences in the lives of children have a profound impact on their well-being, including their health and development, school success, future employment and earning potential, as well as their ability to form positive, lasting relationships and become productive citizens. Recent research affirming the importance of early relationships and experiences has raised our awareness of the consequences of child abuse and neglect, and the importance of preventing child maltreatment whenever possible.

Results of a recent survey of child maltreatment prevention programs around the state show wide variation across counties in the types and amounts of investments in prevention efforts. Depending on where a family lives, they have very different access to services and programs that are intended to support them and prevent maltreatment. The survey also revealed a low implementation rate of evidence-based programs; fewer than 5% of the prevention programs reported on in the survey are based on models that have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective.

Child Maltreatment Prevention: Where We Stand and Directions for the Future.

Background Briefs

#1: Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention: What Is It and How Do We Know When It Works?

#2: Best Practices in Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention

#3: Current Trends in Approaches to Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention

#4: Risk and Protective Factors Related to Child Abuse and Neglect
#4: Appendices 2008 Data

#5: Prevalence of Child Abuse and Neglect in Wisconsin

Related Links

The Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth (Midwest Study) is a prospective study that has been following a sample of young people from Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois as they transition out of foster care into adulthood. The fourth wave of the study examines the outcomes of these youth at ages 23 and 24.

2008 CAN Report (Wisconsin Department of Children and Families)

What Works, Wisconsin

Children's Trust Fund

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