Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention
What is Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention?
Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention -- commonly called "CBCAP" -- refers to specific types of child abuse prevention programs that exist in every U.S. state.
These programs:
- Support community-based efforts to develop, enhance and coordinate initiatives and activities to prevent child abuse and neglect.
- Support the coordination of resources and activities to better strengthen and support families to reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect.
- Foster understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of diverse populations in order to effectively prevent and treat child abuse and neglect.
Funding for CBCAP is distributed by the Administration of Children, Youth, and Families for primary and secondary prevention activities.
How Are CBCAP Programs Used in Tennessee?
Tennessee’s program uses CBCAP funds to administer two prevention programs available to community-based agencies across Tennessee:
Nurturing Parenting Program: This program is a family-centered initiative designed to build nurturing parenting skills as an alternative to abusive and neglectful parenting and child-rearing practices. This program includes a wide variety of modules designed for specific at-risk populations including teen parents, military families, parents/caregivers of disabled children, first time parents, and parents/caregivers recovering from substance abuse, to name a few. Services include in-home and grouped-based classes.
Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children: This is an evidence-based sexual abuse prevention training program designed to educate adults to recognize, prevent, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse and motivates caregivers to courageous action. This 3 hour, discussion-based training is administered by trained facilitators.
Who is Eligible to Receive CBCAP-funded Services?
Any person free of conducting abuse or has a suspicion of abuse is eligible for services.
The goal of primary and secondary prevention services is to inform and educate before abuse or neglect has occurred. Families or individuals with a history of perpetrating abuse, or neglect or who are under active investigation by DCS, are not eligible to receive CBCAP services.
However, families or individuals who have simply come into contact with DCS may be eligible. As long as allegations of abuse or neglect are unfounded and services are not required, a family or individual can be referred for CBCAP services. CBCAP services are voluntary.
How Can I Access CBCAP Services?
Download the directory listing all Tennessee community-based agencies contracted to deliver prevention programs through Nurturing Parenting or Stewards of Children.
Organized by county, the reader can identify which agency offers programs in a specific county. Agency pages detail each agency’s contact information and the prevention activity administered.
Additionally, each program can be found online using the “Find TN State Services” service search on Tennessee's Kid Central.
Contact Us
Jamie Brennan
CBCAP Program Director 1
jamie.brennan@tn.gov
(615) 927-7884