Thanks to an innovative use of federal child abuse prevention funds, Children’s Trust has put into place a plan to select, support and guide three community coalitions around South Carolina — each with the charge to develop a locally-specific, action-based, cross-sector plan to prevent child maltreatment and boost family well-being.
That story is being told on the website of the Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC) program, which puts a spotlight on the cities, counties, regions and states that are building a culture of health by translating the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) into practices and policies that foster resilience.
The money for the community coalitions in South Carolina comes from the U.S. Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) program, established in 1996 and distributed as grants to states for community-based efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect, strengthen and support families, and foster public-private agency collaborations.
Amy Moseley, Children’s Trust community coalitions manager, and Aditi Srivastav Bussells, Children’s Trust research and community impact manager, are quoted throughout the story on the use of CBCAP funds being a good fit for South Carolina’s needs. The CBCAP grant program calls for parent leadership and participation so each community coalition will have an accompanying parent advisory council and will need to meet regularly with community stakeholders.
