NATIONAL CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE
On February 8, 2023, Balenciaga and the Kering Foundation announce a partnership with National Children’s Alliance (NCA). The three-year program will focus on the following pillars:
Support from Balenciaga will enable NCA to train nearly 2,000 professionals specialized in child abuse and up to an estimated 55,000 children will benefit by receiving evidence-based mental healthcare over the three-year program.
“There is a strong correlation between childhood trauma and negative health effects – from poor performance in school to increased risk of suicide to higher rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancer,” says NCA Chief Executive Officer Teresa Huizar. “This cycle can be interrupted and improved dramatically for children who receive evidence-based, traumafocused mental health treatment. For them, it can mean the difference between life and death, which is why Balenciaga’s and the Kering Foundation’s support for this program is so urgently needed.”
As the national association and accrediting body for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs), NCA serves more than 386,000 children a year across the U.S., of which about 285,000 are referred to trauma-focused therapy. However, an estimated 80,000 cannot access treatment because too few therapists are trained to provide it. This deprives children of their right to heal from abuse and neglect, robs caregivers (who may also be survivors) of the ability to support their children, and results in impacts that go far beyond the traumatic event.
“We were confronted with the reality and magnitude of childhood trauma during our listening tour where we engaged with several leading organizations and experts in the field of childhood trauma,” says Cédric Charbit, President and Chief Executive Officer of Balenciaga. “Collectively, at Balenciaga we have listened and learned a lot through this experience, and we wanted to help, have a positive and lasting impact on children and their future who needed support but lacked access. We are grateful to support the work of NCA.”
NCA established its Mental Health Institute in 2022 to increase children’s access to evidence based, trauma-focused mental health treatment. Previously, there was no “one place” CAC professionals could go to meet the training needs of their staff. TF-CBT treatment has been shown to reduce symptoms associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems. It helps children and caregivers talk about traumatic events and increases caregivers’ ability to understand their child’s needs and support their recovery, which can lead to vastly improved outcomes.
Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer at Kering, shares: “For fifteen years, the Kering Foundation has been dedicated to combating violence against women. During this time, we discovered another reality: the intersection between violence against women and violence against children. According to the World Health Organization, globally, up to an estimated 1 billion children aged 2–17 years, have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect in the past year. To respond to these unacceptable statistics, we began to support children affected by abuse in Europe in 2019 – with la Maison des femmes and Face à l’inceste. In line with this commitment, I am proud that the Kering Foundation is beginning a new partnership with National Children Alliance and in particular its work on mental health.”
National Children’s Alliance (NCA) is a US-based national association that since 1990 has been dedicated to helping communities respond to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient and put the needs of child victims of abuse first. As the accrediting body for more than 950 Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) and Chapters in all 50 states, we provide training, financial support, technical assistance, leadership, national advocacy, and access to current research findings on a national level to CACs, developing centers, multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), and other child abuse professionals.
Since 2008, the Kering Foundation has sought to end violence and improve the lives of women survivors of abuse. To maximize its impact, the Foundation works with a select number of local partners in the following countries: the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and China. The Foundation supports local survivor-centered organizations that provide comprehensive services to women and works to change behaviors and attitudes by engaging youth, in particular young men and boys, to promote gender equality. In 2019, the Kering Foundation began supporting programs to address the origins of gender-based violence, in order to break the inter-generational cycles of abuse.
Lean more about
NATIONAL CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE
KERING FOUNDATION
- Support National Children Alliance Mental Health Institute helping children heal from trauma by facilitating a significant increase in access to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Training (TF-CBT).
- Provide education for Balenciaga about child protection and actions adults can take to promote the safety and well-being of children.
- Raise public awareness on child abuse and child protection and promoting a happy, healthy childhood.
Support from Balenciaga will enable NCA to train nearly 2,000 professionals specialized in child abuse and up to an estimated 55,000 children will benefit by receiving evidence-based mental healthcare over the three-year program.
“There is a strong correlation between childhood trauma and negative health effects – from poor performance in school to increased risk of suicide to higher rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancer,” says NCA Chief Executive Officer Teresa Huizar. “This cycle can be interrupted and improved dramatically for children who receive evidence-based, traumafocused mental health treatment. For them, it can mean the difference between life and death, which is why Balenciaga’s and the Kering Foundation’s support for this program is so urgently needed.”
As the national association and accrediting body for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs), NCA serves more than 386,000 children a year across the U.S., of which about 285,000 are referred to trauma-focused therapy. However, an estimated 80,000 cannot access treatment because too few therapists are trained to provide it. This deprives children of their right to heal from abuse and neglect, robs caregivers (who may also be survivors) of the ability to support their children, and results in impacts that go far beyond the traumatic event.
“We were confronted with the reality and magnitude of childhood trauma during our listening tour where we engaged with several leading organizations and experts in the field of childhood trauma,” says Cédric Charbit, President and Chief Executive Officer of Balenciaga. “Collectively, at Balenciaga we have listened and learned a lot through this experience, and we wanted to help, have a positive and lasting impact on children and their future who needed support but lacked access. We are grateful to support the work of NCA.”
NCA established its Mental Health Institute in 2022 to increase children’s access to evidence based, trauma-focused mental health treatment. Previously, there was no “one place” CAC professionals could go to meet the training needs of their staff. TF-CBT treatment has been shown to reduce symptoms associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems. It helps children and caregivers talk about traumatic events and increases caregivers’ ability to understand their child’s needs and support their recovery, which can lead to vastly improved outcomes.
Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer at Kering, shares: “For fifteen years, the Kering Foundation has been dedicated to combating violence against women. During this time, we discovered another reality: the intersection between violence against women and violence against children. According to the World Health Organization, globally, up to an estimated 1 billion children aged 2–17 years, have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect in the past year. To respond to these unacceptable statistics, we began to support children affected by abuse in Europe in 2019 – with la Maison des femmes and Face à l’inceste. In line with this commitment, I am proud that the Kering Foundation is beginning a new partnership with National Children Alliance and in particular its work on mental health.”
National Children’s Alliance (NCA) is a US-based national association that since 1990 has been dedicated to helping communities respond to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient and put the needs of child victims of abuse first. As the accrediting body for more than 950 Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) and Chapters in all 50 states, we provide training, financial support, technical assistance, leadership, national advocacy, and access to current research findings on a national level to CACs, developing centers, multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), and other child abuse professionals.
Since 2008, the Kering Foundation has sought to end violence and improve the lives of women survivors of abuse. To maximize its impact, the Foundation works with a select number of local partners in the following countries: the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and China. The Foundation supports local survivor-centered organizations that provide comprehensive services to women and works to change behaviors and attitudes by engaging youth, in particular young men and boys, to promote gender equality. In 2019, the Kering Foundation began supporting programs to address the origins of gender-based violence, in order to break the inter-generational cycles of abuse.
Lean more about
NATIONAL CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE
KERING FOUNDATION