Child Safety Forward
Implementation Study Final Report

Download Report

This is the final evaluation report for Child Safety Forward, a four-year demonstration initiative that engaged five sites across the U.S. in research, planning, and implementation around strategies aimed at reducing child injury and fatality from abuse and neglect. The initiative, funded by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and with technical assistance led by Social Current, was launched in October 2019 by the DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime.

Demonstration sites conducted retrospective reviews of child fatality data and/or collected additional community-level and system-level data to inform their implementation plans. This report summarizes the key strategies and learnings from each site:

  • St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut
  • Cook County Health in Illinois
  • Indiana Department of Health
  • Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
  • Sacramento County’s Child Abuse Prevention Council in California

In addition, the report delves into key lessons learned and takeaways from the initiative. Recommendations are provided for funders, system leaders, practitioners, and parents and community members for each of five recommended strategies:

  • Communications and Framing
  • Data Culture and Infrastructure
  • Developmental Evaluation
  • Equity, Power, and Parent Engagement
  • Prioritizing Sustainability

This product was supported by cooperative agreement number 2019-V3-GX-K005, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.