How We Began

In 1975, a small group of professionals from law enforcement, child welfare, probation, social work, medicine and other interested individuals gathered in San Diego with one thing in mind…to create a coordinated community response to child abuse and neglect. From the first meeting with lofty goals, this visionary group began to make their ideas become reality. In 1976, the communitywide San Diego County Child Abuse Coordinating Council, the Child Protection Case Review team, and what is now called the Chadwick Center at Rady Children’s Hospital, all opened their doors and changed the way children and families were treated and evaluated.

In 1976, led by our founder Dr. David L. Chadwick, MD, the new hospital-based child protection program formally began the journey to provide quality “state of the art” programs and services for children and families.

In the beginning, the program was simple with few staff providing medical evaluations of suspected child abuse, and a prevention program with volunteer parent aide home visitors. January 1979 was a defining moment in the growth of the Chadwick Center, as a contract with the City of San Diego was developed to provide medical evaluations for victims of child sexual abuse. In 1983, child interviews were added, and soon all the interviews were video-recorded. In 1985, following the TV movie, “Something About Amelia”, the evaluation and prevention programs exploded, sparking the beginning of other programs to help children heal from trauma.

So much happened in the intervening years. Many exciting, innovative, creative ideas and services were developed. Through it all, Evaluation, Treatment, Prevention, Research, and Education remain as core programs at the Chadwick Center.

We are excited to share our commitment and enthusiasm with you at our annual conference. We hope to energize you with the program, topics and speakers, and join colleagues, from around the world, in renewing your passion to make a better place for children and families.

The Chadwick Center for Children and Families

In a society that often does not want to hear or think about child abuse or family violence, the Chadwick Center for Children and Families has created a safe place to heal from these traumatic life experiences.

The Chadwick Center is divided into 5 main programs;

Evaluation
In the Forensic and Medical Services Program (FMS), doctors and nurses provide medical evaluations to ascertain whether a child has been abused; to collect any forensic evidence; and to help children physically to heal from abuse and trauma. Social workers are specifically trained to forensically interview children, an evaluation tool which assists in the investigative process.

Treatment
In the Trauma Counseling Services Program (TCS), social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists provide evidenced-based and supported therapy, psychological testing, medication, and advocacy. Over the course of treatment, children and families undergo incredible changes as they engage in therapy and heal from their trauma.

Prevention
Through grant funding, families participate in programs to improve parenting skills and to assist in finding resources to lead towards a healthier family environment, thus preventing child maltreatment. Staff are expert professional educators who teach others the skills to prevent abuse.

Research
In cooperation with the University of California-San Diego and other educational entities, the Chadwick Center conducts research through the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center.

Education
The Professional Education Services (PES) provides education and training to professionals from around the world on the best practices in child and family maltreatment. The PES goal is to provide quality education on evidence based and supported topics. This is accomplished through the annual international conference, local professional trainings, customized trainings around the world, onsite trainings for visiting professionals, physician fellowships and intern training programs. In 2004, the development of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare, www.cachildwelfareclearinghouse.org, has provided tools to thousands and disseminated information on many evidence-based practices.

Photo of a fan shell Since 1976, the Chadwick Center is proud to have made a lasting difference in the lives of thousands of children and families and tens of thousands of professionals through education. We welcome you to our annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment, where we aspire to pass on the spirit of hope and healing we see everyday reflected in the smiles of the children and families we serve.