National Children's Alliance

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at NCA! We are so grateful for all you do to help protect children and families. Together, we’re helping kids across the country heal. Have a fun, safe and great holiday!

Are you ready to make a difference for kids this Giving Tuesday, next week? We're kicking off the giving season with a fun match challenge! Starting tomorrow, through December 3, every donation you make to NCA will be matched up to $2,000, maximizing your generosity. You will amplify kids' voices to fight for healing from trauma and to create an abuse-free future. Learn more and make a donation: https://loom.ly/iNeS8AU

?The NCA team gathered for a great time last week in Alexandria, VA for our Fall Staff Professional Development Days! Team members across the country met in person for vital learning, team-building, and lots of fun!

In the latest episode of our One in Ten podcast, learn about child sex trafficking and its intersection with foster care, including the factors contributing to child sex trafficking, the vulnerabilities tied to foster care, and the reasons why children run away from safe environments. Arturo Garcia, MA, BCBA, a doctoral researcher at the University of South Florida, joined us to discuss his research on behavioral analysis and its application in understanding and mitigating these issues. The conversation highlights the importance of multidisciplinary approaches and interventions, as well as the need for systemic changes and better connectivity among support services. Listen now and subscribe to One in Ten: https://lnkd.in/g8rswVSp

The countdown is on to protect children from the impact of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) cuts. These cuts will have an effect on victim services across the nation, including Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs) at risk of cutting back resources or shutting their doors. Learn more and share this post with your networks, and tell Congress to pass the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act (CVFSA) to protect CACs and provide access for victims to get the support they need: https://lnkd.in/gUMYDFi8

What are the intricacies of mandatory reporting in child abuse cases? In this latest episode, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Melanie Nadon, Ph.D., MPA joins us to explore the disparities in report substantiations by educators compared to other professionals, the influence of socio-political shifts on welfare referrals, and the challenges of over-reporting. Listen to the full audio episode: https://lnkd.in/gcuHDgjN Watch the full video episode: https://lnkd.in/gWhMu2ey

Protect children from the impact of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) cuts. These cuts will have an effect on victim services across the nation, including Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs) at risk of cutting back resources or shutting their doors. Tell Congress to pass the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act (CVFSA) in the House to protect CACs and provide access for victims to get the support they need. Learn more, get resources, and share this post with your network to raise their awareness: https://loom.ly/hfbjECU

The second phase of updates to the NCA Report have been finalized. For Children's Advocacy Centers required to submit semi-annual statistics on services to children and families, including our Accredited Member CACs: changes are coming to your reporting. It's time to get a head start on your year-end statistical submissions beginning in January, with new questions and updated fields.? CACs submitting data will need to make any necessary changes to ensure they can track data for new cases in 2025 according to the new report requirements. NCAtrak subscribers will need to map their CAC picklist fields to the new report categories by June 2025. Learn more and see all NCA report changes for 2025: https://lnkd.in/gvNP8tux If you have any questions, contact the NCAtrak team at [email protected].

The Netflix series on the Menendez Brothers, now soon to be a documentary, offers a tragic glimpse into a case where one parent overlooks another's sexual abuse of their child. Our CEO Teresa Huizar writes in the Deseret News that it's not the only case, nor even rare. What are the consequences of ignoring a child's abuse? How can Children's Advocacy Centers/Children's Justice Centers help kids recover when a lack of support feels like complicity? https://lnkd.in/grWbvSFh

Last week, NCA CEO Teresa Huizar and other leaders, advocates, and governments from across the globe gathered together in Bogotá, Colombia at the 1st Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children to make a powerful pledge: a future where every child grows up safe, protected, and free from violence. Here are just some of the many highlights: ??Teresa was honored to be on the panel, "Integrated Response and Support Services" (1st picture). ??H.E. Ms. Camilla Waltersson Gronvall, Minister for Social Services, Sweden called out Children's Advocacy Centers as one of the most significant strategies in their country's history to end violence against children (2nd picture). ?? Sinfónica de Bogotá, the children's choir (3rd picture). ?? Learn more about the conference: https://lnkd.in/gzEvw9Hj 1st picture (panel) from L to R: ??Prof. Caroline Taylor, Brave Movement ??Teresa ??Dr. Iryna Postolovska, Deputy Minister for European Integration, Ukraine ??Ms. Rahimisa Kamuingona, Deputy Director Child Care Services, Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare, Namibia 4th picture from L to R: ??Céline Bonnaire, Kering Foundation Executive Director ??Teresa