Missouri Continues Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Training

According to a recently published Missouri Department of Social Services press release, the state Department of Social Services' State Technical Assistance Team has started a training program that will help educate local police officer's, juvenile officers, social workers, and others about the full understanding, investigating, and handling the sexual abuse of children throughout the state.

The funding for the training was presented by the Children's Trust Fund. The Children's Trust Fund is the state's foundation for child abuse and neglect prevention.

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt said, "Protecting Missouri's children is one my highest priorities. I commend those who have come to broaden their knowledge and sharpen their skills in preventing and investigating child sexual abuse. The training will help communities improve their ability to protect children."

Ever since the mid 1990s, Department of Social Services' State Technical Assistance Team has worked to train over 15,000 people involved in child abuse prevention to better handle child abuse cases, including the behavior of sex offenders. The training also helps officers learn the "red flags" of detecting child abuse and neglect, including sexual abuse.

Department of Social Services Director Deborah Scott said, "Nothing is more precious than our children. Our agency's unwavering commitment to child abuse prevention is tantamount and key to that prevention is educating others who share the responsibility of keeping our children safe."

Children's Trust Fund Executive Director Kirk Schreiber said, "We are proud to partner with STAT to provide thorough and meaningful training to those on the front lines who can help reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect in Missouri. Our longstanding relationship with STAT has also helped to foster public education campaigns such as the prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) and the promotion of safe sleep environments."