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From left to right: Ron Laney, Associate Administrator, Child Protection Division, OJJDP; Ernie Allen, President and CEO, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children; Chris Newlin, Executive Director, National Children's Advocacy Center; David Tyree, NFL player; and J. Robert Flores, Administrator, OJJDP, at the National Symposium on Child Abuse in Huntsville, AL.

OJJDP Administrator J. Robert Flores addressed the National Children's Advocacy Center's (NCAC) 24th National Symposium on Child Abuse during its annual conference held March 17–20, 2008, in Huntsville, AL.

With a particular focus on providing training for those working in the field, the symposium offered more than 130 workshops for the 1,200 law enforcement officers, child protective service workers, program administrators, prosecuting attorneys, medical personnel, mental health and treatment providers, victim advocates, and other specialists in attendance.

One of NCAC's two annual conferences, this symposium provided state-of-the-art approaches on a broad range of topics, including prosecuting child offenders, conducting forensic interviews, child protection investigation strategies, rights of child victims in criminal cases, the use of ethics and documentation, and the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

Administrator Flores praised the efforts of those attending and offered continued support for them to serve the Nation's children with the highest standards of excellence as he delivered the opening remarks on March 18, 2008.

OJJDP is deeply committed to assisting law enforcement, court personnel, child and family service providers, advocates, and lay community members to develop a more effective and compassionate response to child victims and to hold adults responsible for maltreating children.

Administrator Flores stressed that protecting children from child abuse and neglect includes offering preventive services to support parents in minimizing the stresses of raising children. In this way, parents gain the resources and strengths they need to overcome situations that may lead to abuse and neglect. Such services include:

Supporting parents in developing nurturing behaviors and fostering parent-child attachment, making sure parents are educated about effective parenting strategies and child and youth development, and assessing and fostering parental resilience to deal with the physical and emotional challenges of raising children.

Also during the symposium, NCAC awarded the Outstanding Service Award to Ron Laney, Associate Administrator of OJJDP's Child Protection Division (CPD).  Recognizing Mr. Laney's more than 31 years of service and contributions in the field, the award is the first of its kind to be given to an individual who has made a difference in the child protection field.

CPD supports a range of programs related to child protection, including preventing child abuse and neglect, addressing crimes against children, and reducing children's exposure to violence. Training, intervention, and prevention programs in this area in 2008 will include:

• NCAC is providing a variety of services for child protection professionals including training, intervention, prevention, and treatment. Training for child abuse professionals covers professional development, community leadership, and prevention conferences.
• Four regional child advocacy centers, in Colorado Springs, CO; St. Paul, MN; Philadelphia, PA; and Huntsville, AL, provide information, technical assistance, and training on child protection at the local, State, regional, and national levels as well as services targeted to each specific geographical region.
• The National Children's Alliance, a membership organization of children's advocacy center programs, provides training, technical assistance, and networking opportunities to local children's advocacy center programs. 
• The National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (NCASAA) supports the expansion of CASA programs in areas where services are limited. One of NCASAA's goals is increased recruitment of Hispanic-American and African-American volunteers.
• The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges' Model Courts Project is implementing innovative reforms and best practices in how juvenile and family courts, social service agencies, and the broader child welfare community respond to child abuse and neglect cases. Reforms are tested at the local level and then disseminated regionally and nationally based on the most successful programs.
• The Child Abuse Training Programs for Judicial Personnel and Practitioners offer court improvement training programs, provide technical assistance on dependency court best practices, and disseminate information for the purpose of improving courts' handling of child abuse and neglect cases nationwide.
• The Child Abuse Investigation and Prevention Program is providing training and technical assistance services to child abuse professionals who work with abused children and their families. Training is offered to psychologists, investigators, detectives, medical services personnel, and prosecutors at the local, State, and national levels.