CHILD USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank dedicated to protecting kids and preventing abuse, built on the extraordinary work of two leaders in the field.

Marci Hamilton

Prof. Marci Hamilton, Founder and CEO of CHILD USA is a national expert on child sex abuse; the statutes of limitations that make it difficult for victims to pursue justice; and religious defenses that may lead to neglect. Hamilton has filed countless pro bono amicus briefs for the protection of children at the United States Supreme Court and the state supreme courts and has submitted testimony and advised legislators in every state where significant statute of limitation reform has occurred.

Rita Swan

Rita Swan, the founder of CHILD, Inc., and CHILD USA Board Member, has been the leading national advocate for the protection of children from medical and educational neglect.  Rita recently received the 2017 CHILD USA Child Protector Award.  Although CHILD, Inc. has dissolved, the archived website remains a rich source of materials on the abuse and neglect of children, especially religious-based medical neglect.  

CHILD USA combines these two leader’s missions to provide a comprehensive approach to promoting justice for victims of child abuse and neglect.

Our Mission

CHILD USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank that conducts evidence-based legal, medical, and social science research to identify laws and policies affecting child protection.  With these facts, CHILD USA shines a light on the better pathways to truly protect kids from abuse and prevent neglect. 

LET’S END CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

What We Do

Children’s Healthcare is a Legal Duty. Sexual abuse and the maltreatment of children have an all too frequent impact on Children’s health. These acts often occur in secret, behind closed doors, but have public consequences.  Victims, their families, and the public pay a high price even decades after the violence ends.  CHILD USA cuts through the shame and the secrecy to gather and analyze the data behind abuse and neglect. 

As an organization dedicated to protecting kids and preventing abuse, CHILD USA conducts research, compiles evidence, promotes ideas, and proposes the most effective policies to prevent childhood abuse and neglect. CHILD USA draws on the combined expertise of the nation’s leading medical and legal academics to reach evidence-based solutions to persistent and widespread child abuse and neglect. All child victims deserve justice, and CHILD USA aims to find the path for them.