Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

                  Enlarge Diagram as PDF (12 KB PDF)

Strategy

The Child Abuse Prevention Program funds efforts that assist, support and educate families before an act of child abuse or neglect occurs. The majority of DDCF grants support early intervention strategies that provide services and support to a sub-set of children who are at increased risk for abuse and neglect. The Child Abuse Prevention Program also makes grants to support primary prevention strategies that reach a wide, public audience with educational information.

Goals

The program awards grants in support of three goals:

• Build Repertoire of Prevention Strategies –
  Increase the number of effective and innovative methods for preventing abuse and neglect.
  
  
• Develop Capacity of Existing Systems –
  Build professional capacity to improve and strengthen prevention efforts within existing service systems that see large numbers of young children and their families.
  
  
• Develop and Disseminate Knowledge –
  Support efforts to enhance the prevention field through the dissemination of research findings and information on best practices.

Criteria

In addition to its focus on prevention and early intervention strategies, the program uses the following criteria to guide its grant-making decisions:

• Youngest Children (ages 0 to 6) –

  Organizations supported by the foundation must reach families with children birth to six years old, who constitute the majority of child abuse and neglect cases and suffer the greatest consequences of maltreatment.

• Non-Stigmatizing Systems –

  Initiatives must work within normal service systems that most families utilize for support or assistance, such as health or child care. The foundation does not make grants to support work within the child welfare system or courts.

• National Organizations –

  Organizations supported by the foundation must have a national scope. The program does not directly work with local communities but rather provides support to national entities, many of which re-grant funds to state or local initiatives.