National Conferences

ChildFirst® is the forensic interview training program of the ChildFirst™ Alaska. This course is designed for investigative teams of law enforcement officers, social workers, prosecutors, child protection attorneys and forensic interviewers. Students receive training on the ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Protocol, child development, memory and suggestibility, testifying in court, legal issues and preparing children for court. This training incorporates lecture and discussion, review of electronically recorded interviews, skill-building exercises and an interview practicum.

ChildFirst® is limited to 40 students. Please be aware that this is an intensive course. The workshops are supplemented with homework assignments, which must be completed each night, and each student will be given a written examination at the end of the course. Students who fail to attend all workshops, to complete homework, or to pass the examination will not be awarded a certificate of course completion. ChildFirst™ Alaska supports a multidisciplinary approach to child abuse cases. Therefore, preference will be given to those who apply to attend the training as a multidisciplinary team (MDT), but individual applicants will also be considered. Applications will be reviewed and approval will be determined monthly.

If you live in a ChildFirst® state you will need to be pre-approved by the state coordinator. Click here to view the ChildFirst® state list.