Expanding Access to Spiritual Care for Child Abuse Victimst

Through OVC-funding, Zero Abuse Project will implement the Enhancing Access to Spiritual Care for Child Abuse Victims Project (Project). The goal of the Project is to identify the gaps in providing trauma-informed spiritual care services to child abuse victims and develop replicable resources and training that reduces identified gaps and allows CACs to implement spiritual care programs. 

Zero Abuse will serve as the lead for the Project and will work in close collaboration with Cross Associates Research and Evaluation Services, the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), Julie Valentine Center, and the Steering Committee.

With Project funding, Zero Abuse and partners will: 1) Incorporate voices of those with lived experience and subject matter expertise in spiritual care program development through identifying and engaging a steering committee; 2) Determine how Child Advocacy Centers are currently addressing the spiritual needs of children and their families through conducting a national survey of CACs and conducting a participatory case study of one CAC center; 3) Develop training and resources for CACs to implement spiritual care programs, including a toolkit and training curriculum; and 4) Share Project findings and resources publicly through producing a final report and marketing the resources.