Prevent Child Abuse Oregon

PREVENT CHILD ABUSE OREGON (PCAO), A PROVISIONAL CHAPTER OF PCA AMERICA, IS ON A MISSION TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES IN ORDER TO PREVENT CHILD MALTREATMENT. THEY ENVISION A STATE WHERE EVERY CHILD LIVES IN A SAFE HOME AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY, REGARDLESS OF RACE, CLASS, CULTURE, OR GEOGRAPHY. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, PCAO CONNECTS, ENGAGES, EDUCATES, AND COLLABORATES WITH COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE AND IS MOST WELL-KNOWN FOR ITS PINWHEELS FOR PREVENTION CAMPAIGN ANNUALLY IN APRIL.

PRIOR TO BECOMING AN INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION, PCAO WAS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE GRANTMAKING AND PROGRAM ACTIVITIES AT THE CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND. PCAO CO-PUBLISHED AND ADVISED ON THE REPORTS PRESERVING CHILDHOOD: OREGON'S LEADING EFFROTS TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND STRENGTHEN FAMILIES AS WELL AS STRENGTHENING OREGON FAMILIES: ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. IN 2015, PCAO SUPPORTED THE WORK OF HTE ELEVATING PREVENTION INITIATIVE, WIHT 150 PARTICIPANTS, TO DEVELOP OREGON'S FIRST BLUEPRINT FOR PREVENTION. AFTER LAUNCHING INDEPENDENTLY, PCAO RESPONDED TO LOCAL REQUESTS BY STARTING THE RURAL PREVENTION PROGRAM IN 2017, BRINGING TRAUMA AND RESILIENCY TRAINING IN GRANT AND HARNEY COUNTIES. PCAO IS MOST WELL-KNOWN FOR ITS PINWHEELS FOR PREVENTION CAMPAIGN ANNUALLY IN APIL, WHERE PINWHEELS ARE DISPLAYED ACROSS THE STATE TO REPRESENT THE GREAT CHILDHOOS THAT EVERY CHILD DESERVES. IN 2021, PCAO CONTRACTED WITH NATIONALLY KNOWN DR. AMY KING (FORMERLY STOEBER) TO PROVIDE TWO TRAUMA INFORMED SIX-WEEK PARENTING SESSIONS. THESE SESSIONS SERVED 77 PARENTS. TWO OPENING SESSIONS TO EXPLAIN THE SERIES WERE PROVIDED TO 780 PARENTS, AFTER WHICH PARENT REGISTERED FOR A SIX-WEEK SERIES. PCAO CONVENES A GROUP OF DIVERSE INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM TO PROVIDE ADVICE ON POLICY AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT RELATED TO CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION.