Chicago Safe Start – Program Goals

CSS will:

Raise awareness of the need to prevent and reduce children’s exposure to violence (CEV).

Support and offer programs designed to raise awareness and generate interest and action across communities and professional disciplines.

Strengthen the response to children exposed to violence in community-based, citywide, and state level systems.

Build capacity of local providers by offering training and professional development opportunities.

Support the development of professional development tools via curriculum development and use of efficient technology (website and email).

Convene a CEV-specific prevention collaborative (Advisory Board) of leading professionals and consumers as a central mechanism for program leadership, strategic planning, and policy advocacy.

Regularly convene local stakeholders to advance advocacy and strategic action

Monitor program implementation and assess the impact of efforts to prevent and reduce children’s exposure to violence.

Refine and share program evaluation information, lessons learned, and adaptions.