Published April 16, 2024 As an organization dedicated to nurturing positive childhoods for all, Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina (formerly Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina) strongly opposes any form of violence against children, including corporal punishment in our schools. Abolishing statutes permitting physical discipline in North Carolina schools aligns with scientific evidence that underscores its adverse impact on a child’s development and ultimately, our state’s future prosperity. Our stance echoes the sentiments of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which emphasizes the det ..read more

Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina Announces Rebranding to Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina Morrisville, N.C. (March 18, 2024) — Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina, a leader in child and family advocacy, announces its rebranding to Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina (PCANC). This strategic decision is the result of the organization’s evolution and feedback from partners, supported organizations and community members. “We are thrilled to unveil our new identity as Positive Childhood Alliance NC,” said Sharon Hirsch, PCANC President & CEO. “This rebranding reflects our ongo ..read more

MORRISVILLE, N.C. (March 13, 2024) – Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina (PCANC), the state chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA), today announced it has maintained Prevent Child Abuse America Chartered Chapter status for the next four years. To maintain its status as a fully Chartered Chapter, PCANC was required to successfully complete the rigorous Building Capacity chartering process. PCANC has been helping North Carolina communities prevent child abuse and neglect as an official chapter of the Prevent Child Abuse America network for the past 45 years.   Through the Buildin ..read more

Shining in the sun, the pinwheel is reflective of the bright, happy and carefree childhoods we want all children to have. In 2008 Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign. What their research showed, and what our experiences since then have reinforced, is that people respond positively to the symbol of the pinwheel, which represent childlike whimsy and lightheartedness and our vision for a world where all children grow up happy, healthy, and prepared to succeed in supportive families and communities. For the past 14 years, organizations, businesses and indi ..read more

By Dr. Melissa Clepper-Faith, Prevent Child Abuse NC Policy Director Today’s parents and caregivers are overloaded; stressed by increasing costs for food, rent, and fuel, by covering student loan and health insurance payments, all with wages that are not increasing proportionately. Just as a truck can only bear so much weight before it breaks down, economic stress can overload and weigh down parents and caregivers, damaging their mental and physical health and well-being from being overburdened without support, and making it hard to best meet the needs of their children.  Basic economic n ..read more

By Sharon Hirsch, Prevent Child Abuse NC President & CEO What a paradox — NC is among the best states in which to do business in the country — and the worst to be a working parent. Perhaps we need to recalibrate our metrics for how we analyze what is “best” for business. It’s hard to recruit employees to work and move to the Tar Heel State if we make it hard to raise our children. We need to change the narrative about how policies, systems and employers support families!  NC is the 5th worst state in the nation for working parents. That’s simply unacceptable. It’s not only bad for our ..read more

North Carolina Governor Cooper proclaimed February 2024 Family Support Awareness Month highlighting the critical work of home visitors and parenting educators across the state. Early childhood home visiting and parenting education (HVPE) programs strengthen the relationship between parents and children, increase parenting skills and build confidence. These programs — which can be offered either in the home or at a community center, Family Resource Center or Smart Start — build a system of support for families and ensure children are ready to learn, improve child health and keep children ..read more

Date: December 21, 2023 By: Kris Demers-O’Brien, Director of Communications and Marketing At the heart of Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina’s (PCANC) mission is the belief that every child deserves to grow up in safe, stable, and nurturing families and communities. We are all responsible for making this vision a reality. That’s why we collaborate with organizations, businesses, community groups, faith communities, and individuals like you to advocate for policies that put children and families first. Inside the Annual Report – Building Hope: Nurturing Positive Childhoods in North Carolina ..read more

By Melissa Clepper-Faith, Prevent Child Abuse NC Policy Director October 26, 2023 It’s a near-universal experience; instead of the cherubic Gerber baby, peacefully sleeping in her crib while parents get their well-deserved rest, you have a wrinkly, red-faced newborn who screams, cries and fusses every night for weeks.   Dr. Sarah Verbiest, the Director of the Center for Maternal and Infant Health (CMIH) in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill describes the first three months of life as the “fourth trimester,” and indeed, many of the techniques that hel ..read more

September 11, 2023 Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina (PCANC) announces the election of its fiscal year 2023-2024 executive officers: Dee McDougal, board chair; Stephen Dauchert, board vice-chair; Sharon Baxter, secretary; and William Goebel, treasurer. The executive officers will lead a team of 16 statewide volunteer leaders dedicated to child well-being and family strengthening efforts across North Carolina. Raleigh-native Dee McDougal now serves as Chair of Prevent Child Abuse NC (PCANC)’s Board of Directors. Since joining the board in 2018, she has served in various roles, including vice c ..read more