Child Abuse and Neglect

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the Massachusetts state agency responsible for protecting children from child abuse and neglect. To report abuse or neglect, call the Child-at-Risk Hotline anytime of the day or night at 800-792-5200. DCF relies on reports from professionals and other concerned individuals to learn about children who may need protection. DCF receives reports on more than 100,000 children each year. Certain professionals are mandated to report child abuse and neglect; however, anyone can report child abuse and neglect.

We serve the survivor, significant other, and family members who are experiencing, escaping or suffering the long-term affects of violence as well as children who have witnessed such violence. Our services include:
A 24 hour a day, seven day a week emergency response hotline with counselors available to accompany victims to hospitals, police stations and safety;
A confidential and secure residential shelter with in-house support services;
Individual counseling, and safety planning at EFC sites and off site;
Support groups;
Economic, housing and general advocacy and assistance;
Legal advocacy on-site in the county courts who assist victims to obtain 209A restraining orders and other necessary services;

Since 1972, when the organization was founded as Parents Anonymous Organization of Massachusetts, Parents Helping Parents (PHP) has offered hope and support to thousands of parents. PHP's mission is to promote and support healthy parent/child relationships and break the cycle of child abuse through peer-led, professionally facilitated mutual help groups, which provide a nurturing, non-judgmental environment in which to improve family relationships. The parental stress line is free and confidential and is available to parents 24/7 for support and guidance.

Berkshire County Kids' Place is a fully accredited Children's Advocacy Center CACs provide a safe homelike atmosphere where child abuse victims and their non- offending family members can receive the services necessary to heal from the trauma of abuse.
Kids' Place gives children who have experienced violence in their lives, either as victims of abuse or witnesses to domestic violence, a safe place to tell their stories and get help.

The Child Assault Prevention Program (CAP) is a curriculum that teaches elementary school children simple strategies to reduce their vulnerability to verbal, physical, and sexual assault and violence. In partnership with schools, approximately 80 trained and supervised CAP volunteers work as Prevention Specialists.
A component for parents and teachers helps them to detect and respond to children who need their help, and to support the problem-solving strategies that the youngsters are learning.

Communities For People, Inc. (CFP) is a nonprofit organization that provides troubled adolescents in the Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts areas with support services, permanent homes, and safe transitional living situations. We strive to empower these youth, to give them a sense of pride in themselves and an understanding of their importance to their families and communities. Our main goals include keeping at-risk youth within their communities, working with families to keep them together, and reunifying families whenever possible.

The Enough Abuse Campaign is a statewide effort to eliminate child sexual abuse in Massachusetts.
Enoughabuse.org also serves as the site of a national prevention pilot funded by the Federal Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) and operating in the Massachusetts communities of Gloucester, Newton and North Quabbin. If you live in one of these communities, go to the Get Connected section of this site for information about prevention activities in your area and how you can get involved.

The Family Justice Center (FJC) of Boston provides a safe and welcoming environment where you can talk about your experiences and explore your options. You may need help finding your way through the legal system and understanding your rights as a victim. You may want to know if and how your child has been harmed, and by whom. You may be looking for the support that you need to stay safe and start over. At the FJC, individuals and families have access to a wide range of free services offered by a diverse group of partner organizations. FJC Partners are here to serve all victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse - including non-English speakers, immigrants (regardless of your status) and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. Childcare is provided during your visit. All services are offered free of charge.

Everyone has the right to live free of violence. Futures Without Violence, formerly Family Violence Prevention Fund, works to prevent and end violence against women and children around the world. From domestic and dating violence, to child abuse and sexual assault, Futures Without Violence works to end some of the most pressing global issues of our time.
We advance the health, stability, education, and security of women and girls, men and boys worldwide. Striving to reach new audiences and transform social norms, we train professionals such as doctors, nurses, athletic coaches, and judges on improving responses to violence and abuse. As well, we work with advocates, policy makers and others to build sustainable community leadership and educate people everywhere about the importance of respect and healthy relationships - the relationships that all individuals, families, and communities need and deserve.

The Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund (CTF) enables more than 100 organizations statewide to prevent child abuse and neglect by providing the most effective programs for promoting good parenting and strong families. Parents need the support of their communities. CTF fulfills that need by providing funding, training, and program models that expand the capacity of communities to work with parents and children. The benefits are many -- stronger communities, more effective parents and more children who are free from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect.

The Parents Program offers teens and adults of all ages a comprehensive network of support services during pregnancy and the early years of child rearing. The program focuses on improving parenting skills, and works to ensure that young people realize their own needs and potential.
The Kayla Rosenberg House provides safe and affordable transitional housing to The Parents Program families who are at risk of homelessness and/or abuse, and who have demonstrated their readiness for independent living. In this environment, parents can work to become financially and emotionally self-sufficient, while they continue their education and/or enhance their job skills.

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline and carries out programs to prevent sexual assault, help victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.

Childhelp is a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect. Childhelp’s approach focuses on prevention, intervention and treatment. The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD, operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Childhelp’s programs and services also include residential treatment services (villages); children’s advocacy centers; therapeutic foster care; group homes; child abuse prevention, education and training; and the National Day of Hope, part of National Child Abuse Prevention Month every April. The website includes a Learning Center with information for parents, children, and professionals about abuse and guidance on how to get help.

The Child Molestation Research & Prevention Institute (CMRPI) is a national, science-based, nonprofit organization. CMRPI conducts research to prevent child sexual abuse and provides information to agencies, professionals, and families to prevent abuse. The CMRPI website includes information on the prevention, assessment, and treatment of child molestation, as well as listings of therapists who specialize in assessing and treating sexual abuse.

It is the mission of the National Center for Children Exposed to Violence (NCCEV) to increase the capacity of individuals and communities to reduce the incidence and impact of violence on children and families; to train and support the professionals who provide intervention and treatment to children and families affected by violence; and, to increase professional and public awareness of the effects of violence on children, families, communities and society. The NCCEV serves as a national forum for exploring issues surrounding children's exposure to violence and a partner in national collaborations across the country in urban, suburban and rural areas. The NCCEV offers training, technical assistance and consultation to a variety of collaborative community programs. It also provides a wide range of specialized interventions and services. The NCCEV website includes comprehensive information on children and violence.

Established by Congress in 2000, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) is a unique collaboration of academic and community-based service centers whose mission is to raise the standard of care and increase access to services for traumatized children and their families across the United States. Combining knowledge of child development, expertise in the full range of child traumatic experiences, and attention to cultural perspectives, the NCTSN serves as a national resource for developing and disseminating evidence-based interventions, trauma-informed services, and public and professional education. The website includes information on the types of traumatic stress and resources for parents and caregivers whose children are experiencing traumatic stress.

The mission of the National Native Childhood Trauma Center is to address high rates of traumatic stress amongst American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children by working under the guidance of U.S. tribal nations in implementing, adapting and evaluating trauma interventions. This work requires understanding, respect and honoring of tribal sovereignty, specific community needs and the use of traditional healing practices. The goals of the Center are to significantly increase and disseminate the number of culturally-relevant, evidence-based interventions for use with AI/AN children (particularly interventions to be delivered in schools) and disseminate these interventions nationally, both on and off reservations and within NCTSN; develop a network of culturally competent, trained educators, mental health providers, and law enforcement personnel who can meet the needs of AI/AN children who experience traumatic stress; and increase the amount of research detailing the processes through which AI/AN children experience and cope with traumatic stress.