Essentials for Childhood Backbone Organization

Since 2013, the Division of Public Health, under the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, has been funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and implement a public health framework for child maltreatment prevention. As a partner in this initiative, the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) convened the Task Force on Essentials for Childhood in 2014 – 2015, which issued recommendations to stakeholders in four areas with the goal of ensuring safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments to strengthen families and prevent child maltreatment. Since 2016, the NCIOM has served as a backbone organization by coordinating aligned work across four nonprofit partners focusing on the importance of supporting children and their families.

In 2024, NCIOM will convene state stakeholders to review progress on recommendations from the 2014 – 2015 task force and conduct a series of facilitated discussions and interviews with organizations named in the recommendations. Additional experts in child well-being, adverse childhood experiences, and other topic areas discussed in the report will also be consulted.

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Task Force Leadership

All Members

Project Director

Susic

Ivana Muszkiewicz, MPH

Research Specialist

North Carolina Institute of Medicine

co-chairs

sharon headshot 2019 2

Sharon Hirsch

President and CEO

Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina

Archie-Meredith-760x800

Meredith Archie

President

NC Chamber Foundation

Description

The Division of Public Health, under the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, has been funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop and implement a public health framework for child maltreatment prevention since 2013. As a partner in this initiative, the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) convened the Task Force on Essentials for Childhood in 2014 – 2015, which issued recommendations to stakeholders in four areas with the goal of ensuring safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments to strengthen families and prevent child maltreatment. In 2015, NCIOM released a task force report with recommendations to stakeholders. Since 2016, the NCIOM has served as a backbone organization by coordinating aligned work across four nonprofit partners focusing on the importance of supporting children and their families.

As part of our ongoing work with the NC Division of Public Health to develop and implement a public health framework for child maltreatment prevention, in 2024 the NCIOM will convene state stakeholders to review progress on recommendations from the 2014 – 2015 Task Force on Essentials for Childhood. We will prioritize recommendations to review implementation and the update committee will be asked to discuss current context, activities, and policy opportunities that may inform additional recommendations and contribute to an updated State Action Plan for NC DHHS/DPH/Injury and Violence Prevention Branch.

Update Committee Meeting Minutes 

Meeting 1: July 30, 2024

Meeting 2: August 28, 2024

Meeting 3: September 17, 2024

Meeting 4: October 1, 2024

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Starting in the fall of 2019, under the guidance of state child health and well-being experts, the North Carolina Essentials for Childhood initiative narrowed its strategic focus to meet two aims outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Changing social norms to prevent child maltreatment. North Carolina Essentials for Childhood is providing funding support to Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina’s awareness campaign, “Connections Matter.” Through a series of training modules, promotional strategies, and personal stories, the Connections Matter initiative aims to emphasize the importance of family and community relationships in building resilience for children impacted by trauma and other adverse childhood experiences.

Strengthening economic supports for families. North Carolina Essentials for Childhood is providing funding support to partner organizations engaged in ongoing work around the promotion and implementation of family-friendly workplace policies:

In addition, NCIOM and the Division of Public Health continue to work across state agencies, with philanthropic partners, and with local organizations to promote strategies that meet the goals of Essentials for Childhood and create safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments for North Carolina’s children and families.

Archived Materials

2021 Request for Applications: North Carolina Essentials for Childhood Partners

Work Group Meetings

Strengthening the North Carolina Child Fatality Prevention System Stakeholder Work Group

ACEs and Opioid Misuse Prevention Work Group

Evidence-based Practices Work Group

Trauma-Informed Practices Work Group

Public Awareness & Social Norms Work Group

Newsletters

Steering Committee Meetings

Other Meetings

Essentials for Childhood and Growing Up Well Reconvening and Update Meeting

Pathways Data Gaps Analysis Meeting