Child Advocacy: Dissemination and Professional Development Projects

Child Abuse and Children With Disabilities

Child Abuse and Children With Disabilities is a Web resource and professional development project that has received ongoing funding from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (2005–16). It was designed to enhance the quality of interviews of children with disabilities who may have been abused. The site provides basic content, especially related to communication strategies and available resources for all members of the multidisciplinary team investigating abuse of these highly vulnerable children. The website continues to be updated and expanded and has reached 10,897 individuals in 131 countries (December 2017). It includes a newly designed, downloadable, and free Interviewing Strategies App. The project team continues to explore the development of more formal credit and professional development options that will be available in an online format.

Future Child Advocates

The Future Child Advocates initiative began in 2012 as an outgrowth of the Child Abuse and Children With Disabilities and the Disability and Child Abuse Action Network activities, with an overall goal to demonstrate and provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to become more aware of the issues involving the abuse and bullying of children, especially those who are more vulnerable (e.g., those with disabilities or who are considered “different”). The clubs are designed to enhance advocacy and leadership skills that can be useful for next-generation professionals and citizens—helping them to bridge the academic discourse in the classroom to the social realities and need to support a human community striving for equity and justice. It models goals of public awareness, community service, professional development, and child advocacy work that brings students, faculty, college campuses, and their surrounding community together to support activities that can make positive differences in the lives of children and their families now and in the future.

Contact Us

Center for Child and Adult Development
Brooklyn College
City University of New York
2900 Bedford Avenue
1101 James Hall
Brooklyn, New York 11210

P: 718.951.5539
E: CCAD@brooklyn.cuny.edu

Brooklyn. All in.