Early Childhood Behavior Program for Military Dependents

The OJJDP FY 10 Earmarks Program furthers the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Conference Report to accompany the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (P.L. 111-117), H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 111-366 at 702-714.

The Department of Behavioral Psychology uses evidence-based approaches to quantify and address early childhood behavior and family functioning problems that are precursors to later problems of child maltreatment, conduct disorders, school failure, juvenile delinquency, and adult violence. The Department now seeks to extend these services to the military children and families in the Fort Meade community. Research has shown that military children experience unique stressors that can place them at increased risk for behavior disorders and child maltreatment. The program goals are to: 1) train a core group of behavioral psychologists on the unique needs of military families, 2) decrease child behavior problems, 3) decrease risks for child maltreatment, 4) improve family functioning, and 5) establish systems and relationships that will assist in continuing these efforts beyond the current OJJDP support. These efforts will also serve to prevent the trajectory that begins with childhood behavior problems and poor family functioning and ends in delinquency and violence. The Department of Behavioral Psychology will use a combination of program records, direct observation, and standardized measurement to assess progress towards these goals. NCA/NCF