Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center is leading an international effort to strengthen protections for children with the launch of the Collaborative Response Framework, a groundbreaking model developed with the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN). Unveiled in August at the ISPCAN Congress in Uppsala, Sweden, the framework provides communities worldwide with an adaptable, trauma-informed approach to responding to child sexual abuse (CSA). This two-year project, led by an ISPCAN steering committee chaired by Mission Kids’ CEO of External and Global Affairs, Abbie Newman, addresses the challenges faced by regions with limited resources and few multidisciplinary supports.
The Collaborative Response Framework aims to fill critical gaps in child protection by empowering communities to establish their own tailored, culturally appropriate support systems for CSA survivors. In many parts of the world, victims of CSA lack access to cohesive care and justice due to limited resources, cultural barriers, and fragmented support structures. By providing a roadmap for building effective, multidisciplinary response teams, this framework enables communities to mitigate trauma, expedite healing, and strengthen pathways to justice for vulnerable children. Broad adoption of this model worldwide has the potential to transform the way societies respond to child sexual abuse, creating safer environments for children across diverse regions.
Following its launch, the framework was introduced to a global audience of over 600 participants through a webinar co-hosted by Newman and ISPCAN CEO Pragathi Tummala. Since then, Mission Kids has been leading the first-ever pilot of this model in an Arab community within Israel, in collaboration with local Arab and Israeli experts in CSA. Acting as consultants, Mission Kids is currently guiding the community in adapting the framework to build a culturally sensitive, community-based response to CSA. This milestone pilot sets a powerful precedent, with the hope that it will inspire similar implementations in communities worldwide.
Mission Kids has since moved forward, piloting this model in an Arab community within Israel led by local Arab and Israeli experts in CSA. As consultants, Mission Kids is supporting the community in adapting the framework to build a culturally sensitive, community-based response to CSA, setting a precedent for broader application.
“Our mission has always been about keeping kids safe and strengthening responses to child abuse at every level,” said Newman. “Seeing this framework take shape internationally and piloting it in new regions is a remarkable step forward.”
With ambitions for wider adoption, Mission Kids invites organizations, leaders, and potential investors interested in the framework, the pilot project, or exploring a collaborative response within their communities to reach out to Abbie Newman at anewman@missionkidscac.org or 484-687-2990 ext. 1017.
To learn more about the Collaborative Response Framework, visit ISPCAN’s detailed overview here: https://ispcan.org/collaborative-framework. For further inquiries or guidance on implementing the framework, please contact Mission Kids directly.
