|
Since the beginning, the agency has always been committed to and focused on the prevention of child abuse. The agency has never attempted to duplicate the efforts of protective services. Rather, we have had a tradition of providing programs and services that focus on primary services that prevent harm to children.
The agency was established in 1978 as Parents Anonymous of Southwestern Ohio, Inc. (PA) to provide support programs for abusive, potentially abusive, or stressed parents, with an emphasis on preventing abuse before it occurs. The agency was based on the National Parents Anonymous self-help model. This model so inspired our Co-Founder Norma Stivers to fill a need in our community, that she tapped the expertise of the University of Cincinnati social work grad student, (and soon-to-be Co-Founder) Kevin Lab for assistance. According to the agency "archives," Norma was the "heart and conscience" of the new agency, and Kevin was the volunteer administrator, instrumental in taking the steps necessary to gain the necessary 501(c)(3) official non profit status, awarded in October, 1978.
The agency relied strictly on a small corps of volunteers and a Board of Trustees to carry out their mission until they hired their first employee, Eve Pearl, as the part-time Executive Director.
During the early years, the agency focused its efforts on providing PA support groups for parents and a twenty-four hour Parent Hotline. Additional programs were added over the years to better address the emerging needs of the community. In 1992, the agency changed its name from Parents Anonymous to the Council on Child Abuse (COCA) to better reflect the growth and scope of services provided by the agency.
An important highlight in COCA's history was when COCA proudly served as the Local Host for the Twelfth National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, held in Cincinnati November 16-21, 1998. The Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN) sponsored this Conference that attracted over 2,000 participants from across the country. COCA gained important local and national recognition for its leadership role, set a new standard for future conferences planned by OCAN, and was deemed hosting, "the best Conference ever!"
Today, the programs COCA offers still maintain the intention of the founders, all with the same prevention focus. A Board of Trustees acts as the governing body for the agency. Members of our Past Presidents Board and Advisory Board share their skills and expertise as they relate to COCA's mission. Professional staff and trained volunteers provide prevention programs and services to over 40,000 children, parents and professionals each year. COCA is part of national, state and local alliances that work collaboratively to prevent child abuse.
The agency is diligent about ensuring public accountability. This can be demonstrated through yearly and ongoing activities which include: conducting an annual audit of the agency's financial statements, becoming a Better Business Bureau Accredited Agency, publishing and distributing an Annual Report, providing required reporting results to all funders such as the rigorous requirements of the United Way, and proudly publishing and sharing our program outcome measurements.
Our latest public service announcement
|
