Professionals outside the child welfare field play an important role in identifying risk, promoting protective factors, and preventing child abuse and neglect.
Pediatricians and other health-care providers
Child Abuse Prevention
American Academy of Pediatrics
Presents programs and resources to help pediatricians and their communities prevent child maltreatment. These resources cover screening for maltreatment, anticipatory guidance, approaches to integrating prevention efforts in the community, guidelines for supervision, and more.
Defining the Children's Hospital Role in Child Maltreatment (PDF - 1,520 KB)
National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (2nd ed.) (2011)
Comprehensive set of guidelines on infrastructure, staffing, systems, and programs needed to guide the development and sustainability of a children's hospital child protection program.
The Pediatrician's Role in Child Maltreatment Prevention
Flaherty & Stirling
Pediatrics, 126(4), 2010
Describes some of the risk factors for child maltreatment and addresses how pediatricians can help prevent maltreatment by identifying family strengths, recognizing risk factors, providing helpful guidance, and referring families to programs and other resources.
Practicing Safety
American Academy of Pediatrics
Ways to increase screening for possible child abuse and neglect by pediatric practices to parents of children ages 0-3. Focuses on expanding anticipatory guidance on seven "new morbidities" that, if discussed by the pediatric staff and implemented by the parent, can help to reduce child abuse and neglect.
Public Health Leadership Initiative
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Describes a 3-year project to identify best practice models of State public health leadership in preventing child maltreatment and promoting safe, stable, and nurturing relationships for children.
What Is Child Welfare? A Guide for Behavioral Health/Mental Health Professionals
Child Welfare Information Gateway (2014)
Provides an overview of child welfare, describes how behavioral health/mental health professionals and child welfare workers can support one another's efforts, and lists resources for more information. Working together, behavioral health/mental health and child welfare professionals can make sure that children, youth, and families receive appropriate services that promote healthy functioning and well-being.
| Series Title | Factsheets |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 323KB) Order (Free) |
| Year Published | 2018 |
Educators
Child Protection in Schools: A Four-Part Solution (PDF - 376 KB)
Second Step (2014)
Highlights the four components of school-based child protection: policies and procedures, staff training, student lessons, and family education. This guide also introduces Second Step, which is a research-based program with prevention and intervention components, resources and training for school staff, classroom lessons, and materials for families.
What Is Child Welfare? A Guide for Educators
Child Welfare Information Gateway (2018)
Provides an overview of the field of child welfare and suggests ways that educators and child welfare workers can work together to promote better outcomes for children and families involved with child welfare, including children in foster care. Links to resources are also included.
What Teachers and Child Care Providers Can Do to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse
Stop It Now!
Offers an overview of child sexual abuse as well as resources to learn about age-appropriate sexual development and warning signs. The website provides suggestions for steps teachers can take to prevent abuse and encourage parents and children to report when it happens.
Law enforcement
Child Abuse and Neglect in the Home
Dedel (2010)
Problem-Oriented Guides for Police: Problem-Specific Guides Series, 55, 2010
Summarizes, for police, knowledge about how to minimize harm caused by specific crime and disorder problems. The series of guides is designed to improve overall law-enforcement response to incidents.
Law Enforcement Response to Child Abuse (PDF - 2,310 KB)
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2014)
Explains the role that police have in child abuse cases and in prevention efforts. It provides information that officers need to make sure their responses are consistent and help them understand their role as part of a multidisciplinary team.
What Is Child Welfare? A Guide for Law Enforcement
Child Welfare Information Gateway (2018)
Explains child welfare work and how law enforcement professionals (police officers, crime scene investigators, detectives, etc.) can forge a mutually beneficial relationship with child welfare managers and caseworkers to keep children, families, and communities safe. The factsheet looks at best practices for collaboration, the importance of information sharing and cross-training, and various State examples. It also includes a list of relevant resources.
Clergy
Abuse Prevention
North American Division Youth & Young Adult Ministries
Provides resources for youth-serving church organizations, including publications, videos, a six-module course, and a link to enditnow, a campaign that recognizes the effect abuse has on everyone within the church and community.
| Series Title | State Statutes |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 333KB) |
| Year Published | 2019 |
How Your Ministry Can Help Prevent Child Abuse Through a Safety System
Morris (2018)
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
Explains the idea of a "safety system" that can help contribute to a safer environment for children and youth. It emphasizes the importance of training staff and provides relevant links.