Our Work
The Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment (CPCM) is developing sustainable solutions to reduce all forms of child maltreatment in South Dakota, beginning with child sexual abuse. CPCM’s work aligns with the CDC’s frameworks for Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect and Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences, so we engage in and support in strategies to:
- Strengthen economic supports to families.
- Promote social norms that protect against violence and adversity and that support parents and positive parenting.
- Ensure a strong start for children, and support quality early care and education/
- Teach skills.
- Connect youth to caring adults and activities.
- Intervene to lessen immediate and long-term harms.
The three pillars of our work are:
Know
Understanding South Dakota’s child maltreatment landscape using state and local data, while also integrating the latest national research, evidence-based practices, and innovations to guide prevention and response strategies.
Respond
Putting knowledge into action by implementing evidence-informed strategies tailored to South Dakota’s landscape, such as developing and delivering specialized training, convening interdisciplinary teams, advising policy and legislative changes, raising public awareness, and providing comprehensive education and resources to prevent and address child maltreatment.
Prevent
Implementing tailored, evidence-based strategies that proactively reduce child maltreatment rates, prevent future harm, and improve outcomes for all South Dakota children and families. Data from these prevention efforts continually informs our knowledge base, driving an ongoing cycle of responsive action.
Adverse Child Experiences Training – In partnership with ACE Interface, multiple ACEs training formats are available by request for South Dakota communities, organizations, and groups.
Enough Abuse Training –Provides adults and communities with the knowledge and skills needed to put an end to the silence of child sexual abuse. Multiple training topics are available for free by request.
Children’s Wellbeing Data Initiative – The State of the South Dakota Children’s Wellbeing Data Initiative is an annual report that improves tracking and monitoring of child wellbeing.
Child & Adult Advocacy Studies Training – Training opportunities for educators to increase knowledge on mandatory reporting, suicide prevention, multidisciplinary approaches, and trauma-informed interventions.
Court Improvement Program Training Series – Monthly online training series for attorneys, judges, and other multidisciplinary professionals working with families involved in abuse and neglect cases.
Mandatory Reporter Training – Free, online training for mandatory reporters and members of the public who want to be educated in recognizing signs of child maltreatment.
Multidisciplinary Response Teams – Fostering collaboration among multidisciplinary response teams across South Dakota.
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners Learning Collaborative – Coordinates resources, provides support, and delivers ongoing education to healthcare professionals to improve the access and delivery of services to all victims of sexual assault.
SD Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems – A statewide collaboration to help ensure a strong start for South Dakota children.
Legislative Activity – Public policy statements and annual legislative activity tracking.
Resilient Communities – Provides a framework to support community coalitions in addressing child maltreatment and strengthen families.
WIC CIAO – Provides support and strengthens families through innovative outreach to create access to necessary nutrition.
