Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP)
Community-Based Child Abuse prevention (CBCAP) programs, are authorized as part of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), has a rich history of promoting efforts to support families and prevent child maltreatment. The law emphasizes in supporting community-based efforts to develop in Nevada as this aligns with the focus of the Children's Bureau (CB), which oversees the implementation of CBCAP programs and has prioritized efforts to support families before any child is harmed. Nevada is fully committed to promote and implement child abuse and neglect prevention programs and makes a call to action to the child welfare field to implement primary prevention strategies to strengthen families and prevent the unnecessary removal of children from their homes.
Children’s Trust Fund
The Children's Trust Fund (CTF) is dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. It was established in 1985 by the State Legislature (NRS 432.131). The CTF is a special account that receives fees from Nevada birth and death certificates. To supplement the Fund, the GMU submits an annual application for federal Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) grant funds, established by Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Amendments of 1996 and most recently.
The Grants Management Advisory Committee (GMAC) evaluates the CTF decisions and reviews the applications and makes award recommendations to the GMU.
Programs Purpose
- Support community-based efforts to develop, operate, expand, enhance, and coordinate initiatives, programs, and activities to prevent child abuse and neglect and to support the coordination of resources and activities to better strengthen and support families to reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect; and
- Foster understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of diverse population in order to effectively prevent and treat child abuse and neglect.
Programs Target Population
CBCAP programs should have some activities available to the general population such as public awareness and education about preventing child abuse and neglect. In addition, program should also target services to vulnerable families that are at risk of abuse or neglect. These families include:
- Adult former victims of child abuse and neglect or domestic violence
- Fathers
- Homeless families and those at risk of homelessness
- LGBTQIA+ Families
- Members of underserved or underrepresented groups
- Parents (all, new, teens, etc.)
- Parents and/or children with disabilities
- Racial and ethnic minorities
- Unaccompanied homeless youth
Allowable Activities
CBCAP direct that the prevention funding must be utilized in the three levels of prevention services: primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary prevention. Primary and Secondary are allowable activities under CBCAP funding, while Tertiary activities are not funded under CBCAP dollars.
- Primary Prevention- Consists of activities that are targeted toward the community at large. These activities are meant to impact families before any allegations of abuse and neglect. Primary prevention services include public education activities, parent education classes that are open to anyone in the community, and family support programs. Primary prevention can be challenging to measure because you are attempting to impact something before it happens, an unknown variable. This type of activity is a focus of CBCAP programs.
- Secondary Prevention- Consists of activities targeted to families that have one or more risk factors, including families with substance abuse, teen parents, parents of special needs children, single parents, and low-income families. Secondary prevention services include parent education classes targeted for high-risk parents, respite care for parents of a child with a disability, or home visiting programs for new parents.
- Tertiary Prevention-Consists of activities targeted at families that have confirmed or unconfirmed child abuse and neglect reports. These families have already demonstrated the need for intervention, either with or without court supervision. These are families that qualify for services under child protection programs and are not a focus of CBCAP programs.
Allowable Services
DCFS will authorize and approve activities and services that prevent child abuse and neglect of children that are focused on the following:
- Offering comprehensive support for parents and parents with disabilities.
- Services promoting the development of parenting skills while providing and improving the access to formal and informal resources:
- Family Centered Case Management
- Parenting Education
- Mental Health Services and Support
- Home Visiting programs for new parents
- Respite Care
- Behavior Management
- Substance Abuse Treatment Services
- Peer Support
- Domestic Violence Service programs for children and their non-abusing caregivers.
- Provide referrals for early health and development services,
- Promote meaningful parent leadership.
- Self-Protection Education for Children- Allowable only under CTF
Who is eligible to apply for CBCAP funding?
- Community-based organizations
- School districts
- Tribal governments and
- Local government agencies.
Protective Factors
Subgrantees awarded prevention funds under CBCAP and CTF must comply and participate in the Protective Factors Survey (PFS).
The PFS is a pre-post evaluation tool for use with caregivers receiving child maltreatment prevention services. It is a self-administered survey that measures protective factors in five areas:
- Family functioning/Resiliency
- Social Support
- Concrete Support
- Nurturing and Attachment
- Knowledge of Parenting/Child Development
Contact Information
Yadira Montes-Santoyo
Social Services Program Specialist III
Nevada Department of Health and Human Services
Division of Child and Family Services, Grants Management Unit
dcfsgrants@dcfs.nv.gov