National Center for
Prosecution of Child Abuse

In 1985, the National District Attorneys Association recognized the unique challenges of crimes involving child victims and established the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse (NCPCA). NCPCA’s mission is to reduce the number of children victimized and exploited by assisting prosecutors and allied professionals laboring on behalf of victims too small, scared or weak to protect themselves. NCPCA is a voice for the voiceless. NCPCA is dedicated to saving the lives of children who cannot defend themselves. To achieve its goal of enhancing the effectiveness of the investigation and prosecution of child abuse, NCPCA has articulated the following four objectives: 1) Host national, regional and local training on state-of-the-art basic and advanced training utilizing evidence based and victim centered practices; 2) Provide immediate, comprehensive technical assistance; 3) Develop and distribute publications on a range of child maltreatment topics; and, 4) Contribute to coordination efforts to improve resource delivery.

What Can NCPCA Do For You?

• National Conferences and Trial Advocacy Trainings
  As the nation’s most prominent and respected trainer, NCPCA sponsors a series of multidisciplinary national conferences and advanced trial advocacy courses for prosecutors, law enforcement, medical and mental health professionals, forensic interviewers, child advocates and allied professionals.
  
  
• Customized State and Local Trainings
  NCPCA’s senior attorneys with expertise in child maltreatment are regularly solicited to teach at international, national, regional, state and local child abuse conferences.
  
  
• Free Online Training
  Recently, NCPCA created an E-Learning Center. The Center houses free online trainings regarding the best practices and procedures used in investigating and prosecuting child abuse cases. Currently, six trainings which focus on children testifying in court are available on the site. Soon new trainings in the form of audio podcasts, full length courses, and webinars will also be available.
  
  
• Technical Assistance Requests
  Each year, NCPCA receives thousands of requests from prosecutors and other allied professionals seeking assistance related to specific child abuse cases. NCPCA offers immediate assistance by providing substantive legal, medical and psychological research, deciphering complex medical or forensic evidence, brainstorming trial strategies, expert witness assistance, legislative review and statutory analysis.
  Make a technical assistance request
  
  
  
• Publications
  NCPCA publishes the monthly substantive newsletter Update, the Child Sexual Exploitation Update, and the web-based Update Express. NCPCA also publishes the two-volume manual Investigation and Prosecution of Child Abuse, 3rd edition. This book was originally published in 1987 and quickly became the authoritative text for handling criminal cases in child abuse.
  

To access these services, contact the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse and speak to one of our attorneys.