Program areas at Prevent Child Abuse Iowa
Community based Child Abuse prevention councils are supported through technical assistance, training in evidence-based Child Abuse prevention programs, development of communication and marketing resources, legislative updates, fostering community engagement across sectors, and strengthening the leadership capacity of local councils. Programs supported include parent education, fatherhood, sexual Abuse prevention, home visiting, and supporting young parents. 76 Child Abuse prevention councils serve Iowa's 99 counties. Prevent Child Abuse Iowa is also convening collaborative work groups to expand home visiting services in Iowa through the healthy families america system. Prevent Child Abuse Iowa is also facilitating stakeholder discussions on developing a statewide network of fatherhood programming in Iowa.
Training services and community engagement increase awareness of Child Abuse in Iowa and improves protective factors at the individual and community level. Training is provided to foster parents, early childhood educators, home visiting service providers, faith leaders, business leaders, and others committed to improving well-being for Iowa families.
Connections matter is an evidence based prevention response training curriculum and public awareness resource bank designed to develop resilience and social supports in adults and children through meaningful, trusting, and caring relationships. The program is founded in research connecting adverse childhood experiences to a Child's brain development, behavior, and health outcomes later in life. The project has been disseminated throughout sectors in Iowa including human services, faith, education and business. The program is gaining interest from other organizations nationally including the friends network, the u.s. department of health and human services, and the member affiliates of Prevent Child Abuse america. The program has also gained international interest with conversations with australia. Prevent Child Abuse obtained a copyright for connections matter, a program also trademarked by Prevent Child Abuse Iowa.
The community adolescent pregnancy prevention program (capp) collaborates with community agencies, schools, churches, businesses, youth, and families to provide medically accurate and age-appropriate programming for sexual health and responsible decision-making among Iowa youth. The centerpiece of capp is an evidence-based pregnancy prevention curriculum taught through public middle and/or high schools, or a youth-serving organization. The curriculum shows positive changes in teen sexual behaviors.