About National Child Abuse Prevention Month
National Child Abuse Prevention Month (NCAPM), recognized each April, is an annual reminder of the shared responsibility to support families, strengthen communities, and prevent child maltreatment. Prevention is a year-round commitment and a pathway to permanency. When families receive the right supports early, children are more likely to remain safely with their families and avoid unnecessary foster care involvement.
NCAPM advances the goals of A Home for Every Child by highlighting strategies that reduce unnecessary foster care entries, strengthen caregiving relationships, and support timely permanency. The resources and messages featured during NCAPM can be used throughout the year to raise awareness, promote family well-being, and strengthen prevention efforts in communities.
NCAPM activities are implemented in partnership with National Child Abuse Prevention Partners, the Federal Inter-Agency Work Group on Child Abuse and Neglect (opens in a new tab), and families with lived expertise.
NCAPM and other Federal child abuse prevention activities are authorized by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). CAPTA provides funding to States to support the prevention, assessment, investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse and neglect. It also provides grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations, including American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and Tribal organizations, for demonstration programs and projects.
The Children's Bureau's Child Maltreatment (opens in a new tab) report provides the Nation's most comprehensive annual data on child abuse and neglect reported to child protective services. The report includes national and State-level information on referrals, victims, types of maltreatment, perpetrators, fatalities, services, and trends. It is a valuable resource for child welfare professionals, policymakers, researchers, educators, advocates, and community partners working to understand child maltreatment, inform prevention efforts, strengthen policy and practice, and improve outcomes for children and families.
The National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) (opens in a new tab) is the Children's Bureau's premier national conference dedicated to preventing and responding to child abuse and neglect. Held every 2 years, the conference brings together child welfare professionals, researchers, policymakers, advocates, and community partners to share knowledge, strengthen collaboration, and advance evidence-informed policy and practice. Save the date for the next NCCAN and sign up to receive updates on registration, speakers, and other conference announcements.