Background

Child abuse encompasses physical or sexual abuse, emotional abuse, or neglect of a child by a parent, guardian, foster parent, or caregiver, whether the caregiver is intrafamilial or extrafamilial, under circumstances indicating that the child’s welfare is harmed or threatened.  Such acts by a sibling, other family member, or other person shall be deemed to be child abuse only when the individual is providing care under express or implied agreement with the parent, guardian, or foster parent.  In order to address this very serious issue, the DoD offers child abuse prevention programs, and in cases where abuse has been identified, intervention and protective services.

Key Points

The DoD offers child abuse prevention programs, intervention, and protective services. Such programs include the following:

• Family Advocacy Program (FAP).  FAP is a command support program with responsibility for addressing family violence - both domestic abuse and child abuse - in military families, through prevention efforts, early identification and intervention, support for victims, and treatment for abusers. FAP staff work with military command, military law enforcement personnel, medical staff, family center personnel, and chaplains, as well as civilian organizations and agencies, to provide a coordinated response to family maltreatment involving service members. 
• New Parent Support Program.  The New Parent Support Program is a secondary child abuse prevention program that falls under FAP.  It provides home visitation services for military families with children from birth to three years of age (up to five years of age in the Marine Corps).  Home visits are conducted by licensed professionals such as registered nurses, marriage and family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers.  These professionals provide screening for risk of child abuse, support to high-risk families, classes related to parenting and child development, and information and referral to resources in the military and civilian communities.  
• Transitional Compensation Program.  Transitional Compensation provides temporary financial, health, and commissary and exchange benefits to dependents of a service member spouse or parent who was separated from the military due to child or domestic abuse.  Transitional compensation payments are designed to assist victims in establishing a life apart from abusive service members.

All suspected cases of child abuse must be reported to FAP, the Child Protective Services agency in the local community, the service member’s command, or law enforcement.

Eligibility

Active duty, activated National Guard and Reserve Component members, and their families are eligible.

Program Availability

The programs are available at military installations worldwide.

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