Assisting parents and children in crisis can be challenging, but a new Web site launched by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work should make it easier for communities and professionals to help strengthen families.
The North Carolina Clearinghouse on Family and Child Well-being is run by the Family and Children’s Resource Program and it connects individuals and North Carolina agencies including schools, courts, and human services, with training opportunities and information they need to prevent and respond to child maltreatment and family violence.
“Before, there were 20 different places one had to look to find available training,” said Cathy Purvis, advisory committee member and director of Children’s Advocacy Centers of North Carolina. “Now there is a centralized source for this information.”
The Clearinghouse is the product of statewide collaboration. The Governor’s Crime Commission awarded the School of Social Work a grant to create the site. Agencies on its 23-member advisory committee range from the N.C. Division of Public Health to local police departments.
The Web site features a searchable calendar of training opportunities for the general public and professionals, where users can find courses on subjects, including autism and domestic violence prevention. It also lists relevant publications, agencies, community groups and links to state Web sites and databases on children and families.
“We hope information from the Clearinghouse will add to community conversations about how to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families,” said Tiffany Price, the project coordinator for the site and a clinical instructor and education specialist in the School of Social Work’s Family and Children’s Resource Program.
By maximizing resources and streamlining training opportunities, the Clearinghouse gives North Carolina professionals, communities and families open access to knowledge. “Our purpose is to help build strong families,” Purvis said.
