April has been observed as Child Abuse Prevention Month since 1983. Lehigh Valley-based and national groups attempt to prevent child abuse in institutional and community settings. Experts have been warning for years that hypervigilance tends to lead to reports that turn out to be unfounded, so a new approach –centered on trust and support – is needed.

For area educators, building relationships of trust with students helps ensure that problems see the light of day. Actual prevention happens when families have access to support from community groups. At Bethlehem Area SD, Chief Pupil Services Officer Dr. Jodi Frankelli explains, “Trained professionals provide a safe, confidential space for students to share concerns and seek help.” The district also “collaborate[s] with community agencies … when appropriate to support students and families.”

This approach includes some of the components that child advocacy professional Matt Anderson recommends. Anderson, who spent 11 years running the largest foster care program in North Carolina, is now the CEO of Imagination Factory, Inc., a firm dedicated to “imagin[ing] and creat[ing] a more just world for families.” It is his experience-based belief that child abuse prevention is undergoing a long-overdue shift from “waiting for families to be in crisis to get supports” to a world in which supportive entities “partner with families on the front end.”

County and regional offices follow up on reports. CPS reports can be “founded” (judicially adjudicated that abuse took place), “indicated” (judged by a county or regional staffer as supported by substantial evidence that abuse took place), or pending (under active investigation after a 60-day period). GPS reports can be validated (substantiated as true), invalidated (not substantiated), or screened out (not formally investigated).

In 2024, the most recent year for which data is available, the Pa. Dept. of Human Services handled 41,070 CPS reports, of which only 4,756 were substantiated. There were 176,496 GPS referrals that year, of which 39,561 were substantiated. Pennsylvania has roughly 2.6 million children; most substantiated CPS reports apply to children ages 5 through 9. Northampton County and Lehigh County accounted for 100 and 77 substantiated CPS reports, respectively. Additional data is available from Pa. Human Services online at dhs.pa.gov/docs/Publications/Pages/Child-Abuse-Re¬ports.aspx).

Institutional

prevention

Efforts to prevent child abuse at the institutional level are guided in part by state law, notably the mandated reporter and background check legislation passed after the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State. School districts and other organizations that work with youth and vulnerable adults may also place safeguards in addition to those required by law.

Pa. Act 153 requires paid and voluntary workers who have routine contact with minors to obtain three different clearances: a state criminal history check processed by Pennsylvania State Police (PATCH); a state child abuse history check processed by the Pa. Human Services; and a federal criminal history check processed by the FBI using fingerprinting at officially designated locations. Clearances must be re-performed every 60 months.

Bethlehem Area School District Chief Pupil Services Officer Dr. Jodi Frankelli provided a statement to the Press to explain the safeguards in place in the district. “We take a comprehensive, proactive approach to child abuse prevention that includes staff training, clear policies and procedures, student education, and strong in-school support systems,” the statement reads. “First and foremost, all district employees are required to complete mandated training in accordance with Pennsylvania Act 126. This includes two online training modules focused specifically on child abuse recognition and mandatory reporting obligations. These trainings ensure that all staff members understand the signs of abuse and neglect, their legal responsibilities as mandated reporters and the proper procedures for reporting concerns.”

Beyond the state-required background checks and training sessions, BASD “has established board-approved policies that outline expectations and procedures related to child protection. These policies provide clear guidance on reporting protocols, professional boundaries, and safeguarding practices. They are regularly reviewed and updated to remain aligned with state laws and best practices.”

In line with Pa. law, BASD policies apply to unpaid adults who interact with youth in the district. Frankelli explains in her statement, “The district also implements strict procedures for school volunteers and chaperones. All volunteers are required to complete appropriate background clearances before interacting with students. Expectations for conduct are clearly communicated to ensure that all adults working with students maintain safe and appropriate interactions at all times.”

The Diocese of Allentown requires that all employees and unpaid volunteers who work with children or vulnerable adults comply with state law, including an FBI background check, state criminal history check and state child abuse check, as well as a national sex offender registry clearance. These clearances apply to all paid and unpaid workers in schools, including volunteers who do not work directly with children. All clergy, employees and volunteers must also formally sign off on the diocese’s safe environment policies.

People working with minors and vulnerable adults are trained in preventing, recognizing and responding to abuse through a program called VIRTUS/Protecting God’s Children, created by the National Catholic Risk Retention Group. “Vulnerable adults” is a category that includes “anyone who by any physical or cognitive impairment, age or disability” is considered vulnerable, explains diocesan Secretary for Catholic Health and Human Services and Youth Protection Pam Russo. An example is an elderly individual who receives the Eucharist at home from an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion; these ministers are background-checked and trained by the diocese.

“We make people aware of the elder abuse hotline at the state level,” Russo says, “as well as making sure they know that if someone is at imminent risk of harm, they should contact law enforcement immediately.”

At present, only staff and volunteers working directly with youth and vulnerable adults receive the Protecting God’s Children training, but in June, it will be required for all diocesan staff and volunteers. “Even an office volunteer would need to complete the training,” explains Executive Director of Communications Nick Gibboni.

Gibboni also clarifies that the diocese’s safe environment norms are binding “Particular Law,” which means that they are promulgated by Bishop Alfred Schlert under the Code of Canon Law. “They’re not voluntary guidelines,” Gibboni emphasizes. “They’re enforceable within the diocese.”

Community-focused prevention

BASD is concerned not only with preventing institutional abuse, but also with protecting children from community-based harms.

“A critical component of our prevention and response efforts,” the district’s statement elaborates, “is the access students have to in-school support personnel. School counselors and administrators are available to support students’ academic, social/emotional, and behavioral needs. These trained professionals provide a safe, confidential space for students to share concerns and seek help. They are also equipped to respond to disclosures of abuse, initiate appropriate reporting procedures and connect students and families with additional resources when needed.”

A tool that has been in use for several years – but is an innovation with respect to confidential disclosures by students – is Safe2Say Something. Frankelli’s statement explains how the tool works: “This anonymous reporting system allows individuals to submit concerns related to student safety, including potential abuse or neglect, helping to ensure that information can be shared even when someone may be uncomfortable reporting directly.” She continues, “While students – particularly at the secondary level – are trained on how to use this tool, it is important to note that Safe2Say is available 24/7 to anyone, including students in all grade levels, district employees, families and community members.”

Protecting students is part of BASD culture, Frankelli explains.

“Beyond these measures, the district promotes a culture of awareness and vigilance. Staff members are encouraged to build strong, trusting relationships with students, as these connections often play a critical role in identifying and addressing concerns early. We also collaborate with community agencies and child welfare organizations when appropriate to support students and families.

“Through ongoing training, clearly defined procedures, accessible in-school supports, student education, and community partnerships, the Bethlehem Area SD remains committed to protecting the well-being of every child and ensuring that all students have access to a safe learning environment.”

The Diocese of Allentown also provides abuse prevention training to students from kindergarten through high school, using a program called “The Circle of Grace,” developed by the Archdiocese of Omaha. “It’s age-specific,” Russo explains, “and we send a preview and a letter each year to parents, so they know that their child will have this training.” The diocese makes the program materials available to interested parents for their own use.

Prevention through proactive support

National efforts to prevent abuse by family members and close associates are changing; one emerging way of understanding child abuse prevention is promoted by registered 501(c) 3 organization Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America), led since 2019 by CEO Melissa Merrick, PhD.

Founded in 1972, PCA America views child abuse prevention as intertwined with social justice. In an interview with podcaster Matt Anderson in 2025, Anderson explained that child abuse prevention is in the process of shifting from “waiting for families to be in crisis to get supports” to a world in which supportive entities “partner with families on the front end” so that “they never touch our downstream systems.”

PCA America has created a “blueprint for family well-being,” which includes four pillars: “loving and secure family relationships supported by foundational life skills,” “access to formal and information family supports,” “mental and physical well-being across the lifespan,” and “financial stability and economic mobility.”

With these four pillars in place, PCA America contends, families are less likely to be in the condition of fragility that can lead to abuse and serious physical neglect. “For me,” Merrick told Anderson, “prevention is making sure families have what they need when they need it, delivered with love and trust and respect, and without stigma, before they’re in crisis.” Merrick stresses the collective approach that is necessary for this strategy to work.

Challenges

to accessing help

Lawyers from Community Legal Services Philadelphia, speaking with the Press, point out challenges to PCA America’s approach posed by today’s surveillance-focused environment. One CLS attorney notes that the legislative creation of mandated reporters has made it more difficult for parents in challenging situations to ask for help without triggering an investigation.

Medical professionals, teachers, members of the clergy and social workers – all of whom might seem like reasonable people for an overwhelmed, under-resourced parent to ask for help – are all mandated reporters. According to the Pa. Dept. of Human Services, mandated reporters “are required to report suspected child abuse through the Child Welfare Portal or by calling … if they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is a victim of child abuse.”

Pennsylvania law designates the following roles as mandated reporters: licensed/certified health professionals; medical examiners, coroners, and funeral directors; employees of licensed health care facilities; school employees, including teachers; childcare facility employees who have direct contact with children; clergy members of every faith; paid, independent contractor, or voluntary workers who have regular direct contact with children; social services workers who have direct contact with children; members of law enforcement; public library employees who have direct contact with children; foster parents.

Attorneys are the only individuals barred by law from reporting clients to CPS unless there is an imminent threat to someone’s safety; however, individuals only have relationships with attorneys if they are consulting with them about specific legal problems, so the one safe avenue to find support is not open to most families in situations conducive to abuse or serious neglect. (Even some attorneys are mandated reporters. According to Pa. Dept. of Human Services, “An attorney affiliated with an agency, institution, organization or other entity, including a school or regularly established religious organization that is responsible for the care, supervision, guidance or control of children” is a mandated reporter.)

Specific family needs outlined by PCA America in its “Theory of Change” document – the result of design sessions, interviews, and surveys in partnership with Healthy Families America (HFA) – include families having home visiting supports when they need them; families being connected with informal support groups in their communities, including churches and neighborhood groups; families having at least one parent employed full-time, year-round; and families living in stable housing. In order for supports to be realistic possibilities for families, they must be designed with transportation and work schedule concerns in mind.

In the short term, PCA America’s own aims include items like changing the idea of child welfare to reframe CPS as only one component of the child welfare system and building the recognition that child abuse prevention that works involves more than the child welfare system. Medium-term goals include forging active partnerships with HFA-affiliated sites to create policy change around the country.

“The healthiest kids are ones who come from loving homes,” Merrick says, “and overwhelmingly – overwhelmingly – parents love their children.”