Zero Abuse Project has developed and implemented Child Advocacy Studies (CAST) curriculum in 91 undergraduate and graduate institutions, and early research documents the efficacy of this reform. However, CAST schools regularly face challenges in being able to implement, sustain, or expand their child protection offerings. Opportunities for continuing or alternative child protection education are even more limited for many MDT members. Finally, even vibrant, well-resourced existing CAST programs often are not able to provide simulation-based learning, which is becoming highly sought after from an academic preparation standpoint. To ensure that child protection personnel, mandated reporters, and postsecondary learners receive appropriate, evidence-based training on recognizing and responding to children exposed to violence, Zero Abuse will increase its national CAST educational reach via the CAST Learning Expansion & Assistance Resourcing Project (Project CLEAR). The goal of Project CLEAR is to expand child advocacy training opportunities in undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs, and support integration of these new learning paths into degree and certificate tracks for child protection professionals working toward two and four-year degrees.
Zero Abuse will review curricular needs for child protection professionals as it pertains to continuing, alternative, and simulation-based education; expand the existing CAST Program Plan by creating training content for non-traditional and continuing education programming; develop best-practice workshops, modular content, and virtual simulation experiences to empower current and future child protection professionals and mandated reporters; and disseminate new training content, educational resources, and technical assistance to CAST faculty and schools. Project CLEAR will expand and enhance child advocacy training for all child protection learner populations in postsecondary pathways through the development of CREATE continuing education Toolkits, CASTLE modules for non-traditional education, and a cutting-edge virtual simulation hub. Zero Abuse will supplement the integration of these deliverables by offering training and technical assistance to current and new CAST faculty seeking to expand their efforts to ensure that every MDT professional obtains training in multiple evidence-based methods for identifying and screening children for exposure to violence.
