We are driven by a desire to help people better understand and talk about religious child maltreatment (RCM), learn how to identify its risk factors, and recognize its negative impact on children. Through our work in 5 key program areas, we serve a myriad of beneficiaries, including survivors, faith community members, and professionals who work in fields of child protection. Our 5 program areas include:

  1. Informing the General Public and the Media. Our website provides an extensive and unique clearing house of resources on religious child maltreatment (RCM); we oversee social media outlets that allow people to discuss and learn about this issue; and we give media interviews and slideshow presentations at meetings and conferences.
  2. Advocating for Survivors.We maintain a clearinghouse of resources to help survivors of RCM find reputable therapeutic programs, and we advocate on behalf of survivors seeking to communicate with religious institutions and organizations that harmed them. An example of this work is what we have been doing on behalf of survivors of Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch.
  3. Partnering with Faith Communities.We offer curricula to faith communities and information to professionals who work in the field of child protection to help them learn how to better prevent RCM and respond to cases. One church organization that served as a pilot site is Unity of Austin.
  4. Supporting Academics, Professionals, and Advocates. We offer a rich set of resources of studies and academic articles on the subject of RCM and share information with other child advocacy organizations. We hope to soon launch a webinar series designed for professionals who work in child protection, such as attorneys, social workers, and law enforcement.
  5. Raising Awareness of Key Issues that Impact Children. The CFFP is dedicated to informing the public of issues that often fly under the radar, such as important court decisions and legislation. As an example, this op-ed discusses a potentially dangerous decision by the Texas Supreme Court. We also have been active in trying to convince Idaho lawmakers to repeal dangerous “faith healing” religious exemptions that result in child sickness and death.