The Child Health Grand Challenge team at The University of New Mexico has been granted a $300,000 award from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to conduct a two-year study on child maltreatment incidence. Led by principal investigators Rebecca Girardet and Gabriel Sanchez, the team aims to identify cultural practices that may act as protective factors in reducing negative outcomes related to child maltreatment.
Girardet highlighted the importance of the study, stating, "New Mexico is making strides in implementing strategies that hold promise for preventing child maltreatment... But the state does not have a good metric for measuring the full scope of child maltreatment." The team seeks to fill this gap by exploring the impact of cultural practices unique to New Mexicans on preventing maltreatment.
The survey will focus on individuals aged 18-22 who spent part of their childhood in New Mexico, aiming to provide data on both child maltreatment and community-level protective factors. Girardet emphasized the significance of the research by stating, "This survey project is foundational to that mission... [providing] information about nurturing cultural practices that may help us learn how to promote resiliency."
In addition to Girardet and Sanchez, the Child Health Grand Challenge team includes Sara Nozadi and Xi Gong, with the mission of generating research to address and prevent child maltreatment in New Mexico. The team plans to utilize the study findings to guide future research efforts and hopes to secure additional funding for periodic surveys to inform state policy and prevention initiatives.
The Grand Challenges program, initiated by UNM President Garnett Stokes, aims to address significant global, national, and regional issues through interdisciplinary research collaborations. The University of New Mexico, as the state's leading research institution, is well-positioned to undertake complex interdisciplinary research work such as the Child Health Grand Challenge team's study on child maltreatment.
The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, a prominent philanthropic organization established in 1930, supports initiatives that create opportunities for vulnerable children to thrive. With a focus on priority places including New Mexico, WKKF collaborates with communities to help children realize their full potential in various aspects of life.
For more information on the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and its initiatives, visit www.wkkf.org.
