Protect, Heal, Thrive: Lessons learned from the defending childhood demonstration project
Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
U.S. Department of Justice
Abstract
In order to address the high prevalence of children’s exposure to violence, eight sites around the
country were selected by the Department of Justice for the Defending Childhood Demonstration
Program. This national initiative aims: 1) to prevent children’s exposure to violence; 2) to
mitigate the negative impact of such exposure when it does occur; and 3) to develop knowledge
and spread awareness about children’s exposure to violence, both within and beyond the chosen
pilot sites.
The eight demonstration sites were tasked with developing and implementing comprehensive
strategies that could include both universal and targeted prevention programs; case management
and treatment interventions for children who had been exposed to violence; community
awareness and education; and professional training designed to increase the knowledge of
children’s exposure to violence, trauma-informed care, and the use of proven evidence-based or
promising treatment practices.
Part of the evaluation of the Defending Childhood Demonstration Program, this report is a crosssite
synthesis of implementation strategies, lessons learned, and promising practices in six of the
eight sites: Boston, MA; Chippewa Cree Tribe, Rocky Boy’s Reservation, MT; Cuyahoga
County, OH; Grand Forks, ND; Rosebud Sioux Tribe, SD; and Shelby County, TN.
This mixed-method study included three primary data collection methods: 1) multiple site
visits involving interviews with key stakeholders and observations of meetings or events at
each site; 2) quarterly site implementation reports tracking quantitative program outputs; and
3) document review of important planning documents, program records, and other materials.
The Defending Childhood sites made decisions about their strategies using their own needs
assessments; discussions among their collaborative bodies; and informal evaluations of
implementation feasibility. Program models vary greatly by site; however, general themes and
lessons emerged as all of the sites worked to tackle children’s exposure to violence.
Based on the identified findings and lessons, this report provides 58 distinct recommendations,
which sub-divide into recommendations for: (1) other jurisdictions, (2) tribal sites, (3) funders,
(4) technical assistance providers, and (5) evaluators who may be studying similar initiatives.
Description
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Article
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Keywords
evaluation, defending childhood, implementation
Citation
Swaner, R., Ayoub, L.H., Jensen, E., & Rempel, M. (2015). Protect, Heal, Thrive: Lessons learned from the defending childhood demonstration project. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.