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) and is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, Grant Management Unit (GMU). 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 reauthorized by the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010.
Every two years the GMU publishes a Request for Applications for primary and secondary prevention programs for child abuse and neglect, funded through the CTF. The Grants Management Advisory Committee (GMAC) reviews the applications and makes award recommendations to the DHHS Director. The GMAC focuses on funding programs that provide parenting education, self-protection education for children, respite care, home visitation, and public awareness of child abuse and neglect.
Protective Factors
CTF-funded programs that address child abuse and neglect prevention or provide respite to the primary caregiver of children with disabilities are required to incorporate the Six Protective Factors in their programs and activities.
Additional Resources
The US Department of Health and Human Services'
Administration for Children and Families has a comprehensive website with a
wealth of resources available.
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.
What is the Purpose of CBCAP?
1. to 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
2. to foster understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of diverse population in order to effectively prevent and treat child abuse and neglect.
What is CBCAP's 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:
• Parents (all, new, teens etc.)
• Parents and/or children with disabilities
• Racial and ethnic minorities
• Members of underserved or underrepresented groups
• Fathers
• Unaccompanied homeless youth
• Adult former victims of child abuse and neglect or domestic violence
What Prevention Activities are Funded Under CBCAP
Nevada’s CBCAP includes activities that work with the community and families to prevent child abuse and neglect such as:
• Public awareness campaigns
• Home visiting programs
• Parent support groups.
• Parenting education
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.
1. Primary Prevention 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.
2. Secondary Prevention 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.
3. Tertiary Prevention 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
Contact Information
Email the Grant Management Unit at GMU@dhhs.nv.gov