Who We Are The ability to live a productive life – to love, laugh and achieve great things – begins in childhood.  Abuse, neglect, family dysfunction, and childhood trauma can derail a child’s potential.  For over 40 years For The Child has strengthened families, prevented the trauma of child abuse, neglect and exposure to violence and helped low-income children and families heal when it has occurred.   These are local children.  They live in our communities, go to our schools and play with our children and grandchildren.  Prevention and early intervention is critical to helping children lead happy and healthy lives. Many years of support from all sectors of the community allows us to offer professional prevention, education and treatment services for child sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, severe neglect, the impact of witnessing domestic or community violence, the victimization of human trafficking and other adverse childhood experiences.   We provide court-based childcare, a 24/7 Child Abuse Response Team, help meet emergency needs and improve the daily lives of at-risk and abused low-income children and vulnerable families. We believe strong, nurturing and informed families and communities have the greatest ability to keep children safe.  We also believe, without regard to poverty and ability to pay, all children who are at-risk or have experienced abuse should be able to get the help they need when they need it.  As one of our teen sexual abuse victims explained “you don’t just get over this without help.” Help is also given to parents suffering from depression, their own trauma histories and other challenges who often struggle to be the best parents they possibly can be.  Strengthening families and helping parents overcome their challenges is a critical and integral part of helping children.