Child Maltreatment Prevention as a Public Health Priority: Communitywide Efforts to Combat ACEs in Cedar Rapids Area

The "Parents Like Us" group (http://www.parentslikeus.com/) in Cedar Rapids found much their efforts on the article "A Better Start" (Zimmerman & Mercy, 2010). Co-author of the article, Francie Zimmerman from the Center for the Study of Social Policy, became a consultant for the project.

"Abstract: Child abuse prevention programs have historically focused on individual and family dynamics rather than community-based or societal strategies to prevent child maltreatment. Recently, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of communitywide efforts to prevent child maltreatment before abuse of neglect occurs by offering a continuum of services that promote the health of the population as a whole. The authors describe how a public health approach to child maltreatment addresses the range of conditions that place children at risk for abuse or neglect and include strategies at the individual, family, community, and societal levels to promote health and well-being."