Skip to content
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Mission & Vision
    • Board of Directors
    • Our Story
    • Careers
    • Financials
  • For Professionals
    • Training Catalog
    • Featured Training
    • Research & Publications
    • Trauma-informed Prosecutor Project (TiPP)
    • ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Training
    • Child Advocacy Studies (CAST)
    • Online Store
  • For Victims/Survivors
    • Get Help Now
    • Video Resources
    • Jacob Wetterling Resource Center
    • Statute of Limitations Reform
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Events & Training
    • Upcoming Events & Training
    • 2023 Summit
    • Past Events
  • News
    • Recent News
    • Press Releases
  • Contact
  • Donate
Menu
  • About
    • Our Team
    • Mission & Vision
    • Board of Directors
    • Our Story
    • Careers
    • Financials
  • For Professionals
    • Training Catalog
    • Featured Training
    • Research & Publications
    • Trauma-informed Prosecutor Project (TiPP)
    • ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Training
    • Child Advocacy Studies (CAST)
    • Online Store
  • For Victims/Survivors
    • Get Help Now
    • Video Resources
    • Jacob Wetterling Resource Center
    • Statute of Limitations Reform
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Events & Training
    • Upcoming Events & Training
    • 2023 Summit
    • Past Events
  • News
    • Recent News
    • Press Releases
  • Contact
  • Donate
Search
Close
DONATE

ChildFirst® National Course

Home » For Professionals » ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Training » ChildFirst® National Course

ChildFirst®

ChildFirst® is an intensive virtual five-day course in which students learn the necessary skills to conduct a competent, investigative interview of a child abuse victim using the ChildFirst® Forensic Interview Protocol.

ChildFirst® is an interactive course which combines lectures with demonstrations and hands-on experience. ChildFirst® is a flexible model and takes a holistic approach and explores for all forms of maltreatment. Students will conduct a 30 minute interview with an actor/actress playing the role of an abused child and will be critiqued on their performance and take a written exam.

ChildFirst® is the ideal course for investigators, child protection workers, forensic interviewers, and prosecutors working within a multidisciplinary team seeking to enhance their ability to speak to children.

Each student will need their own 500+ page training manual, either downloaded and stored on an electronic device for reference during the training, or printed
 
Technical requirements: 
  • Computer, tablet, or phone with ability to download and store or print 25mB document (500+ pages)
  • Computer, tablet, or phone with microphone and camera. Students will need camera and microphone capability during the entire training
  • Ability to print a small number of documents/forms for use during the training

 

Please inquire with questions about CLEs and CEUs for prosecutors, law enforcement and social workers.

 

Our next ChildFirst® National Training is scheduled for March 13-17, 2023.

Cost: $450

Applications will be accepted until February 10th, 2023. You will be notified of acceptance or waitlist status by February 17th, 2023.

Please note: ChildFirst National will be prioritizing applications from those that are from states that are not currently part of the ChildFirst Coalition. If your state has a ChildFirst program, we encourage you to reach out to your state coordinator about local offerings of ChildFirst. All coordinator contact information can be found towards the bottom of the page here.

VIEW SAMPLE AGENDA

Finding words can be difficult for a child victimized by abuse. Conflicting emotions of fear and love for the perpetrator may cause a child to be reluctant to reveal abuse. If a child tries to speak of abuse, he or she may lack the verbal skills to adequately communicate the event to an adult.

Finding words can be difficult for a police officer, social worker or prosecutor who must speak to a child about abuse. In order to communicate competently with a child, the interviewer must be able to speak in a manner consistent with the child’s linguistic and developmental abilities.

Finding words can be difficult for a child forced to tell a jury about abuse.

Finding words can be difficult for an investigator or prosecutor forced to defend an interview from an attack by defense counsel that the child was “led” into making a false accusation.

Application Form

*All applicants will be notified of their acceptance or wait-list status approximately three weeks prior to the beginning of training.

Please be aware that this is an intensive course. ChildFirst® National will send you a MANDATORY reading assignment prior to your training session. Homework is assigned each evening to supplement each training session. Each student will be given a written examination at the end of the course. In order to receive a certificate of completion, participants are required to attend all workshops all five days of training, complete homework and pass the mock interview and final examination.

ChildFirst® National is limited to 30 participants per session. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Preference will be given to those who apply to attend the training as a multidisciplinary team (MDT). The ideal team consists of a prosecutor, law enforcement officer and a social worker and/or forensic interviewer. If your team varies from this norm, please attach to your application an explanation of the unique makeup of your team and why you would benefit from the training. Individual applicants will be considered.

Applications received from the following states will be prioritized:

Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Washington D.C., Wisconsin, and Wyoming

STAY CONNECTED

We need your help to protect children from abuse! Sign up to stay connected and learn about upcoming events and announcements!

Facebook Twitter Youtube Envelope Rss
Subscribe

ABOUT

Zero Abuse Project is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to the elimination of child sexual abuse. Our programs are designed to provide training and education to professionals and students, and to help transform institutions to effectively prevent, recognize, and respond to child sexual abuse.

NAVIGATION

  • About
  • News
  • Events
  • For Professionals
  • For Victims/Survivors
  • Contact

CONTACT US

Jacob Wetterling Resource Center
(800) 325-HOPE (4673)

Zero Abuse Project Headquarters
366 Jackson Street, Suite 300
St. Paul, MN 55101
(651) 714-4673

Virginia Office
1450 Duke St
Alexandria, VA 22314
(651) 714-4673
DONATE
© 2022 Zero Abuse Project. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. EIN: 82-4614993