Evaluation of SAFE City Program's
Multicultural Child Abuse Prevention Campaign (MCAPC)

In 2003, Congress reauthorized the Child Abuse Prevention Treatment Act (CAPTA), which provides funding to state and local governments in support of prevention, assessment, investigation, prosecution, and treatment activities related to child abuse. It also provides grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for demonstration programs and projects. Under CAPTA's auspices, the SAFE City Program of the Municipality of Anchorage's Department of Health and Human Services was awarded a grant to initiate a public awareness campaign, the Multicultural Child Abuse Prevention Campaign (MCAPC), aimed at educating and promoting positive parenting and constructive adult interaction with children.

Under this project, the Justice Center will evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the Campaign. As part of its efforts, the Justice Center will initiate two original data collections:

(a) a general survey of Anchorage adult residents. The general population survey will be used to determine the Campaign's effect by assessing the dissemination of child abuse and child abuse prevention information.

(b) a targeted survey of child welfare service providers which will ask respondents to report what information the campaign provided to them that they did not already have, as well as the professional utility of the information.