CDC releases Essentials for Childhood Framework: Preventing child abuse and neglect

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a framework to help communities promote relationships and environments which prevent child abuse and neglect.

The Essentials for Childhood Framework is intended for anyone committed to the positive development of children and families. The Framework proposes strategies communities can consider to promote the types of relationships and environments which prevent child maltreatment and help children to grow up to be healthy and productive citizens, and in turn, build stronger and safer families and communities for their children.

The Framework is organised into four goals and related steps. Together, these aim to build a comprehensive foundation of safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for children. The four goals are:

• Raise awareness and commitment to promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments and prevent child maltreatment
• Use data to inform actions
• Create the context for healthy children and families through norms change and programmes
• Create the context for healthy children and families through policies.

The Framework is supported by Essentials for Childhood: Steps to Create Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments which sets out the suggested steps to move towards a goal. Other framework resources include a fact sheet which summarises the framework, "how to" guides which provide implementation methods for goals and a webinar presentation about the Framework.

Safe, stable and nurturing relationships have been previously explored in an evidence briefing by the World Health Organization (2009) and a special compilation by the Journal of Adolescent Health (2013).