PA Family Support Alliance to Offer Child Abuse Prevention and Response Training to Communities

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Have you ever seen a parent struggling with a misbehaving child in a store and uncomfortably wondered to yourself if you should say or do something? When does discipline cross the line into abuse? Whose business is it anyway?

Most everyone has had that experience and has wondered about such questions at one time or another. Maybe you've been concerned that a neighbor has been leaving young children home alone or you've seen children in your neighborhood playing unsupervised in the street.

Now there's an answer to whether you should do something and, if so, what.

The nonprofit Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA), a leader in protecting children from abuse, has agreed to serve as Pennsylvania's sponsor of a "prevention initiative" called The Front Porch Project®.

The Front Porch Project® was created by the American Humane Association to help members of the general public become more aware of how to protect children and support families in their own communities. It provides knowledge, training, and the encouragement to get involved.

"PFSA in recent years has taken a leading role in educating at-risk families about good parenting and in training professionals about how to spot and report suspected child abuse and neglect," said PFSA Executive Director Angela Liddle. "Now we're taking the next step and providing a program to educate and train interested individuals in local communities."

Those who receive the training, she explained, will learn about child abuse and neglect, gain a better understanding of vulnerable children and families, acquire real-life skills to help protect children and provide support to families, and become more comfortable with getting involved.

Liddle said, "Many times we've heard people say after the fact that they wished they'd recognized that a child was being abused, that they'd spoken up or done something. The Front Porch Project® gives ordinary people the knowledge and the confidence to make a difference. The more education and training we can provide the better chance we have of averting a tragedy where a child suffers or dies."

The American Humane Association, based in Denver, works to enhance the ability of local organizations and public agencies to respond effectively to the needs of vulnerable children and families. According to the association, the concept of The Front Porch Project® is "much the same as a good neighbor sitting on the front porch who, in years past, would have been aware of and involved in helping to solve problems affecting families they knew. The general public is aware of the problem of child abuse, but is looking for concrete ways to get involved that truly help a family. "

The Front Porch Project® has been implemented to date in several states, including Oklahoma, Florida and Illinois. Evaluation of the impact of The Front Porch Project® in those states shows that the initiative results in an increased awareness of the needs of vulnerable families and hundreds of instances where neighbors and other community members get involved to help such families.

Liddle said PFSA's role will be like that of a facilitator, helping to deliver the research-supported program to communities that can benefit from it. This will include partnering with American Humane Association to train the trainers, find local community partners, and manage the community training.

PFSA will be recruiting and preparing trainers in March and then will begin scheduling training sessions in April. Liddle said PFSA hopes to be able to present the training in at least five communities during 2011.

PFSA is the leading provider in Pennsylvania of training for mandated reporters on how to recognize and report child abuse and neglect. Mandated reporters are professionals who come into regular contact with children through their occupation and are required by law to report suspected abuse or neglect.

Harrisburg-based PFSA also works with affiliated member agencies across Pennsylvania to offer information, educational materials, and programs that teach and support good parenting practices.

For more information about local implementation, visit the PFSA Web site at www.pa-fsa.org. To report suspected child abuse or neglect call ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313. For information about American Humane Association or The Front Porch Project nationally, visit www.americanhumane.org.

Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance

Protecting children from abuse

• Training for professionals
• Support for families
• Education for communities

SOURCE PA Family Support Alliance