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​Policy and Research​

The Prevention Board is the state agency charged with leading statewide and local efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect. (Wis. Stats. §48.982) 
We dedicate resources to (1) advance evidence-informed legislation, administrative rules, and polices related to prevention child abuse and neglect by working with our partners to embed child maltreatment prevention best practices into our work, and (2) recommend changes to programs, statutes, policies and practices that advance child maltreatment prevention best practices and improve coordination among state agencies that provide prevention services to promote individual, family and community strengths. ​​

Policy Priorities

  • Abusive Head Trauma Prevention: Wisconsin law directs the Prevention Board to provide education on abusive head trauma/shaken baby syndrome. The Prevention Board will initiate 1) expanding the Period of PURPLE Crying program throughout Wisconsin and 2) analyzing Wisconsin law for potential amendments that would reflect current best practices in abusive head trauma prevention. 
  • Child Sexual Abuse Prevention​: The Prevention Board encourages the development and use of evidence-informed child sexual abuse prevention education that promotes adult responsibility for keeping children safe. 
  • Public Awareness: Universal child maltreatment prevention strategies that include the Five for Families campaign to increase knowledge of the Protective Factors Framework; the Period of PURPLE Crying Dose 3 materials were created to promote awareness and prevent abusive head trauma; and Triple P Level 1, a communications strategy designed to reach a broad cross section of the population with positive parenting information and messages.
  • Parent Education: The Prevention Board will promote evidence-informed parent education programs, including Triple P Positive Parenting Program, an evidence-informed system of parent education with increasing levels of intensity tailored to parent need. 
  • Professional Development:  The Prevention Board supports the use of the Core Competencies for Family Support Professionals and Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work education for family support professionals.
  • Father Engagement: The Prevention Board collaborates with partners to promote strategies focused on engaging fathers in family strengthening programs and services.  
  • Wisconsin Legislative Children’s Caucus: The Prevention Board provides administrative support to the Children’s Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral caucus that aims to cultivate a legislature dedicated to advancing promising, evidence-informed public policy to improve the life of every Wisconsin child, from prenatal stages through age 18. ​

Research Focus​

  • Family Resource Center Infrastructure Development: The Prevention Board funds the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute for a process evaluation the Family Resource Center Infrastructure Development project with the goal of building capacity within partner organizations to create a sustainable evaluation framework, system, and tools that will be useful to the partner organizations to better serve children and families. Best Practice Model ​document describes a Family Resource Center (FRC) model for best practice which is in development in the state of Wisconsin.
  • Protective Factors: The Prevention Board funds research at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Institute for Child and Family Well-being aimed at identifying protective factors that reduce the risk of abuse and neglect in a population sample of Wisconsin households.​