Alaska Children’s Alliance

In collaboration with the National Child Protection Training Center (NCPTC), Alaska recently graduated our first ChildFirst™ Alaska students. The first training included welcoming remarks by Joe Masters, Commissioner, Department of Public Safety, Kim Guay, OCS Social Services Program Administrator and Pam Karalunas, Chapter Coordinator, Alaska Children’s Alliance. Although the Alaska Children’s Alliance (ACA) is the lead organization on this project, it is a joint effort by the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Law, Office of Children’s Services, UAA Child Welfare Academy and Child Advocacy Center staff and Multidisciplinary Team members. Nine law enforcement, CAC and OCS staff are in training to become Alaska ChildFirst™ faculty. This project is also generously supported by The Rasmuson Foundation, the Western Regional Child Advocacy Center and the National Children’s Alliance.

Alaska’s rate of child sexual assault is six times the national average. Due to our vast and difficult terrain, law enforcement and child protection workers have many challenges in responding to child sexual abuse reports. The majority of our communities are located in areas with very limited access which is weather dependent. It is critical that there are trained child forensic interviewers throughout the state. The ChildFirst™ model was selected because it fits the culture and children of the state and has been proven to be more conducive to holding individuals accountable for the crimes they commit against children.

When those who commit crimes against children are not held accountable for their actions due to lack of evidence and disclosure from a child, through forensic interviewing, it can negatively affect the child and the perpetrator is free to molest other children. Through the ChildFirst™ RATAC protocol, children from different cultures—no matter what their degree of readiness to disclose–have the opportunity to talk to a forensic interviewer at their own pace. The RATAC protocol guidelines can be intertwined throughout the interview, but most importantly, the cultural aspect of Alaskan children is respected and this respect plays a major role in how the interview is conducted.

ChildFirst™ Alaska is a collaborative effort of the Alaska Children’s Alliance; the State of Alaska Department of Law, Department of Public Safety, the Department of Health and Social Services Office of Children’s Services (OCS); and the University of Alaska (UAA) Child Welfare Academy.