Improving the Investigation and Prosecution of Child Abuse and the Regional and Local Children''s Advocacy Centers

The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Inc. (APA) is a national organization with broad membership of attorneys who prosecute criminal cases in state courts and have demonstrated experience in providing training and technical assistance for prosecutors. The Child Abuse Prosecution Project is implemented by APA in partnership with SEARCH, National Sheriffs Association and Parents of Murdered Children and administers the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Prosecuting and Preventing Child Abuse. APA will continue to work with major VOCA grantees and the Regional Children’s Advocacy Centers. Through this project, APA will continue to operate a model national training and technical assistance program for child abuse prosecutors and professionals to enhance the coordinated multidisciplinary investigation and response to child abuse and to improve the judicial system’s handling of child abuse and neglect cases. In order to meet this goal the program will focus on 4 principal objectives: 1) Provide training opportunities for prosecutors and related criminal justice professionals that consists of webinars, regional trainings, the 2nd National Prosecutors Summit on Child Abuse, and will collaborate with and participate in national and regional conferences offered by other VOCA grantees; 2) Provide technical assistance for prosecutors and related criminal justice professionals by maintaining a website and listserv as well as conducting six technical assistance visits on issues of child abuse prosecution; 3) Develop and disseminate publications and resources for prosecutors and related criminal justice professionals in the form of quarterly electronic newsletters, one-page reference sheets pertaining to various areas of child abuse prosecution and four monographs pertaining to complex issues of child abuse prosecution; and 4) Increase coordination among VOCA programs by holding and participating in quarterly meetings or conference calls among its collaborating partners and strengthening relationships with child abuse prosecutors and related criminal justice professionals. APA in coordination with OJJDP and its national partners will assure that all training and technical assistance activities are assessed and evaluated by the performance measures set forth by OJJDP. Further, APA understands and agrees to collect the necessary performance measures data in compliance with OJJDP standards. NCA/NCF

This program furthers the Department's mission by providing grants and cooperative agreements for training and technical assistance to organizations that OJJDP designates.

The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys will continue to operate a model national training and technical assistance program for child abuse prosecutors and their team members to enhance the coordinated multi-disciplinary investigation and response to child abuse and to improve the judicial system’s handling of child abuse and neglect cases. The program will focus on four principal objectives: 1) Provide training opportunities for prosecutors and related criminal justice professionals that consists of webinars, regional trainings, including the 3rd National Prosecutors Summit on Child Abuse and other VOCA events; 2) Provide technical assistance efforts for prosecutors and related criminal justice professionals by maintaining a website and listserv, as well as conducting technical assistance visits; 3) Develop and disseminate publications and resources for prosecutors and related criminal justice professionals in the form of electronic newsletters, reference sheets and monographs pertaining to complex issues of child abuse prosecution; and 4) Increase coordination among VOCA funded programs. CA/NCF