Who We Are

The Child Protection Program (CPP), founded in 1972, consists of the AWAKE (Advocacy for Women and Kids in Emergencies) project, an outpatient child protection clincial services program (CPCS), and a child protection team (CPT) of hospital consultants. The Program includes a multidisciplanary group of professionals from the Departments of Medicine, Social Work, Nursing, Psychology, Office of General Counsel and AWAKE (the domestic violence project). Child Protection Team members, representing all of the above departments, are available on a twenty-four hour basis to consult on cases of child abuse and neglect. Consultation with the CPT is strongly encouraged.

Advocates from the AWAKE Project provide domestic violence intervention services for patients and their families, as well as hospital employees. In a unique partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (DSS), the Child Protection Program has a nurse at Children’s Hospital Boston who functions as a liason with DSS. CPCS provides a range of multidisciplinary evaluation services for children who are suspected of having been maltreated, as well as research and training. They also offer referrals to a variety of community resources.

Each member of the CPP plays a vital and integral role in the mission of the Program to evaluate and provide care for patients at Children’s Hospital Boston who may have been abused or neglected and to implement child protection and safety. The Child Protection Program seeks to increase the awareness, knowledge, and prevention of child abuse within the hospital, and the community.


Last Updated: February 11, 2004
Contact Us