Defending Childhood

OJJDP's State and Community Development Awards program was established to provide grants and cooperative agreements to organizations that OJJDP has selected for funds in prior years. This program has been authorized by an Act appropriating funds for the Department of Justice.

The Attorney General's Children Exposed to Violence Demonstration Program will develop and support comprehensive community-based strategic planning and implementation efforts to prevent and reduce the impact of children's exposure to violence in their homes, schools, and communities.

The purpose of this proposal is to continue the systems-based response of Defending Childhood by providing resources for assessment and treatment for children who are exposed to violence. The population to be served is children ages birth through eighteen living in Cuyahoga County who are exposed to violence and are subsequently experiencing signs of trauma. Through the activities proposed in this submission, children are screened, identified, and fully assessed for trauma. Based on the results of the assessment, they are referred to evidence based, community centered, trauma focused treatment. Data on short-, intermediate, and long-term outcomes are compiled and analyzed to enable adjustments to activities.

Although this submission includes a focus on data collection and evaluation, such activities do not constitute research under federal guidelines, and no funds will be used for conferences or personnel. NCA/NCF

OJJDP's State and Community Development Awards program was established to provide grants and cooperative agreements to organizations that OJJDP has selected for funds in prior years. This program has been authorized by an Act appropriating funds for the Department of Justice. The Attorney General's Children Exposed to Violence Demonstration Program develops and supports comprehensive community-based strategic planning and implementation efforts to prevent and reduce the impact of children's exposure to violence in their homes, schools, and communities.

Cuyahoga County's Defending Childhood Initiative will utilize FY14 State and Community Development Invited Award funds to continue the system-based response by providing resources for assessment and treatment for children who are exposed to violence. The population to be served is children ages birth through eighteen living in Cuyahoga County who are exposed to violence and are subsequently experiencing signs of trauma. Additionally, the county has developed a network of providers who are equipped to address secondary traumatic stress among professionals working with traumatized families in order to prevent the negative impact of compassion fatigue among workers to offer quality services for children and their families. NCA/NCF