The Children’s Bureau’s Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN) held its 13th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, April 23-28, 2001, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 13th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect was the latest in a series of national conferences that serve as the primary gathering place for child maltreatment professionals and volunteers to meet and exchange information about the identification, prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. The roots of the National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect can be traced to the 1974 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), a landmark piece of legislation in the struggle against child maltreatment in America. As a result, the first National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect was held in Atlanta, Georgia in 1976. This conference, and each conference since, has reflected the most current findings, ideas, and work in the area of child abuse and neglect research, policy, program and practice. The National Conferences on Child Abuse and Neglect have served as a source of information and inspiration for workers as they continue efforts to improve the lives of children and families andthe communities in which they live. Theme of the Conference The theme for the 13th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Faces of Change: Embracing Diverse Cultures and Alternative Approaches, recognized the fact that our diversity enables us to bring a multitude of approaches to bear on key issues in the field of child abuse and neglect. It also reflected our hope that building on the strengths found in these differences will create positive opportunities for change. The 13th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect was a celebration of our strengths in the face of new challenges as we strive to protect children and strengthen families. The goals of the 13th National Conference included: (1) Reaching out to recognize new players, ideas, and unique partnerships in the field of child abuse and neglect; (2) Highlighting lesser-known promising practices and research findings with implications for improving program effectiveness and service outcomes; (3) Disseminating state-of-the-art information on research, policy, and practice; (4) Facilitating the exchange of information across disciplines and among individuals, groups, and institutions; and (5) Encouraging the identification of goals and development of action plans for new initiatives.
