POLICY COMMITTEE
Thirty-two department heads, UCLA, and five Board appointees. Gives direction and forms policy,
reviews the work of subcommittees and votes on major issues. (Meets in April & November, no set
dates)

OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
Member agency and community council representatives are a part of this working body that reviews activities of subcommittees, discusses emerging issues and current events, and recommends specific follow-up actions.  (Meets every 2nd Wed., 1:30 p.m., Hall of Administration, Los Angeles)

AB 1733/AB 2994 PLANNING
Conducts needs assessment and develops funding guidelines and priorities for child abuse services; participates in RFP process and develops recommendations for funding of agencies. (As Needed)

CALIFORNIA HOSPITAL DIRECTORY
The Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect is currently building a hospital system to better connect and integrate existing resources. Target resources are those that address the multiple factors associated with child abuse and neglect.

CHILD ABDUCTION / REUNIFICATION TASKFORCE
This public/private partnership responds to the needs of children who have experienced abduction.  It provides coordinated multi-agency response to the recovery and reunification of abducted children, including crisis intervention and mental health services.   This is a closed meeting.

CHILD ABUSE / DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
This committee examines the relationship between child abuse and domestic violence; develops interdisciplinary protocols and training for professionals.  Is developing a countywide protocol for the response to children and families in homes with domestic violence.  Provides training regarding issues of family violence, including mandatory reporting. (Meet as Needed)

CHILD ABUSE MEDICAL EVALUATION
Coordinates efforts to facilitate and coordinate quality forensic medical exams for child abuse victims throughout the County and in particular for children seen at the DCFS HUB system; Is developing a set of best practice principles for expert medical forensic exams for child under age14 in LA County.  (Meets as Needed)

CHILD ABUSE PROTOCOL
Development and implementation of a countywide protocol for inter-agency response to suspected child abuse and neglect. Training provided upon request to ICAN. (As needed)

CHILD & ADOLESCENT SUICIDE REVIEW TEAM
A multi-disciplinary sub-group of the ICAN Child Death Review Team.  The Team reviews child and adolescent suicides, analyzes trends and makes recommendations aimed at the recognition and prevention of suicide and suicidal behaviors. This is a closed meeting.

CHILD DEATH REVIEW TEAM
This Team provides multi-agency reviews of intentional and preventable child deaths for better case management and for system improvement. It is also responsible for issuing ICAN's annual CDRT report.  This is a closed meeting.

COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN COMMITTEE's VICTIM’S SERVICES SYMPOSIUM
This symposium will focus on effective strategies in interviewing and interventions with adolescent
victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The Symposium is on September 23, 2009, at the
California Endowment.

COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN COMMITTEE'sCYBER CRIMES SYMPOSIUM
This symposium will be attended by a wide range of carefully chosen law enforcement professionals
(federal and county) as well as service providers from the community. The keynote speaker will be
Hemanshu Nigam, the Chief Security Officer for MySpace. The Symposium is on September 28,
2010, at the Police Academy, Los Angeles.

DATA AND INFORMATION SHARING
The group focuses on intra and inter agency systems of information sharing and accountability.   Produces annual ICAN Data Analysis Report which highlights data on ICAN agencies’ services. 

FAMILY AND CHILDREN’S INDEX (FCI)
This committee addresses the development and implementation of an interagency database to allow agencies access to information to determine if other agencies had relevant previous contact with a child or family.  This,  in order to form multidisciplinary personnel teams to assure service needs are met or to intervene before a child is seriously or fatally injured.  (Meets every 3rd Thursday, MacLaren Children’s Center, 2:00 p.m.)

GRIEF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
A professional peer group which serves as a resource pool of experts in grief and loss therapy to
those providing mental health interventions to surviving family members of fatal family violence.
The Group is developing specialized training in grief issues in instances of fatal family violence and
a resource directory of services. Also develops an annual conference on Grief and Loss. (Meets
regularly, no set time) 2011 Grief and Traumatic Loss Conference will be March 23, 2011, at the
Pasadena Convention Center.

GUIDELINES FOR RESPONSE TO SEVERE NON-FATAL INJURIES TO CHILDREN
With the support of a grant from the California Emergency Management Agency(Cal Ema), formerly the Office of Emergency Services (OES), ICAN is developing standards of multi-disciplinary guidelines for better identification and investigation of severe injuries to children through improved networking, communication and collaboration.  A pilot project is underway to implement these guidelines in L.A. County is underway through linking the six Pediatric Trauma Centers.  Areas of interest for this project include strengthening local hospital SCAN team, collecting existing data on prevalence of suspicious injury, reviewing Child Death Review protocols, surveying literature for trends and standards, developing effective strategies for cross-agency information sharing among agencies, building a networking structure for agencies, and facilitate local and statewide training. Training provided upon request to ICAN.

INFANTS AT RISK COMMITTEE
Works to improve the system rendering services to drug/alcohol exposed children and their families; collaborates with hospitals and DCFS to facilitate effective identification of  infants at risk of abuse/neglect and their families; provides training on evaluating needs of pre-natally substance exposed infants and their families; assists in developing and identifying resources to serve drug impacted families; and is developing a computer tracking system to assist in coordination of service systems for neonates reported to DCFS. (Meets monthly)

LEGAL ISSUES
The committee analyzes relevant legal issues and legislation.  Develops recommendations for ICAN Policy Committee and Los Angeles County regarding positions on pending legislation; identifies issues needing legislative remedy.

LOS ANGELES MARATHON
For over to 15 years, ICAN Associates has been one of the official charities of the Los Angeles Marathon. Each year, ICAN recruits runners, walkers and bicyclists to help raise money for the cause of child abuse prevention. In addition, volunteers from all over Los Angeles County are recruited to cheer the athletes along the marathon route.

MACLAREN CHILDREN’S CENTER HOLIDAY PARTY
Each year MacLaren opens it’s doors to over 600 community children to participate in a day of education, arts and crafts, performances and holiday themed activities.

MENTORING COMMITTEE
This committee, comprised of both County and community members, will provide guidance and support for organizations that provide, or wish to provide, mentors for children in placement.   The formation of this committee is part of the effort to fulfill the Board of Supervisors request for ICAN  to work towards the goal of providing a mentor for every foster child in Los Angeles County. 

NATIONAL CENTER ON CHILD FATALITY REVIEW
In 1996, ICAN Associates, Inc. received a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, to establish the ICAN National Center on Child Fatality Review (NCFR). The mission of NCFR is to develop and promote a nationwide system of Child Fatality Review Teams to improve the health, safety and well being of children and reduce preventable child fatalities and severe injuries. NCFR’s Mission is accomplished through the establishment, support and expansion of a national network of multi-agency, multi-disciplinary, local, regional and state Child Fatality Review Teams.

NEXUS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
Develops ICAN’s annual NEXUS conference; a large multi-disciplinary conference
addressing “Violence in the Home and It’s Effects on Children.” (Meets monthly during planning
months) Nexus XV Conference will be October 28, 2010, at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites,
Los Angeles.

PREGNANT AND PARENTING ADOLESCENTS TASKFORCE
This task force focuses on review of ICAN agencies’ policies, guidelines and protocols that relate to pregnant and parenting adolescents and the development of strategies that provide for more effective prevention and intervention programs with this high-risk population.  Includes focus on child abuse issues related to pregnant teens, prevention of teen pregnancies, placement options for teen mothers and babies, data collection, legal issues and public policy development.  (Meets every last Wed. of the month, 12 p.m.)

SAFE SLEEPING FOR INFANTS CAMPAIGN
In February 2009, the National Centers for Disease Control reported a four fold increase in the rate of infant death during the past twenty years due to a rise in the number of babies who share a bed with their parents. Unsafe bedding, pillows, blankets were also cited as risk factors. ICAN, First5LA and the Department of Public Health are working together to distribute over 300,000 Safe Sleeping pamphlets, both in English and Spanish, across Los Angeles County.

SAFELY SURRENDERED BABY LAW (SSBL)
The initiative is responsible for notifying the Board of Supervisors, Chief Administrative Office and others of infants who are safely surrendered or abandoned.  It also collects and analyzes data on these cases and prepares an annual written report to the Board of Supervisors.  ICAN maintains a Speakers’ Bureau, which has trained nearly a thousand individuals in the public and private sectors.  ICAN also is responsible for updating and revising the countywide training curriculum to be utilized by County Departments and participates in the County’s Public Information campaign. Training provided upon request.

STUDENT POSTER ART CONTEST
ICAN Associates hosts a Poster Art Contest each year in conjunction with National Child Abuse Prevention Month designated in the month of April. The contest is open to all 4th, 5th and 6th grade children throughout Los Angeles County. Since 1998, ICAN and ICAN Associates has reached approximately 14,000 students on this important issue of child abuse prevention.