The Juvenile Protective Association Celebrates Richard H. Calica’s 30 Years of Service Helping Give A Voice to Abused and Neglected Children

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Millions of children are abused and neglected across the country every year. As Executive Director of the Juvenile Protective Association (JPA), a Chicago-based, private non-profit agency devoted to protecting children, Richard H. Calica has devoted his life to preventing child abuse and improving child welfare.

Under Calica’s leadership, the JPA has established numerous programs in collaboration with local organizations including, The Department of Children and Family Services, Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, Juvenile Court of Cook County, Stroger Cook County and three Chicago Public Schools in North Lawndale, that have helped provide abused and neglected children with a voice and decreased the number of children re-injured by more than 60 percent. These programs provide intervention and treatment to break the intergenerational cycle in families that abuse or neglect their children and include:

• Clinical Treatment and Counseling: to resolve the issues caused by abuse and neglect or that increase the likelihood of abuse and neglect
• Parent-Infant Services: to prevent high-risk families from abusing their children
• Consultation: to share direct service expertise and experience with public and private agencies involved in treating high-risk children and families
• Research and Publication: to contribute to knowledge in the field
• Professional Education and Technical Assistance: to train professionals practicing in the areas of child welfare, early childhood, developmental psychology and pediatrics
• Advocacy: to support social policy and services which protect children and enhance their development and serve as a voice for children and families to ensure that children's best interests are recognized

Over the past 30 years, Calica has expanded JPA’s outreach by chairing numerous committees and boards of directors like the Child Care Association of Illinois and helping to write and pass legislation requiring standards in decision making around removal or return of abused children. Calica helped move the JPA into the national arena through national research projects including JPA’s partnership with the University of North Carolina School of Public Health on a 20-year longitudinal study funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the long term affects of child maltreatment and resiliency in children, which is now in its 17^th year. Additionally, under Calica, the JPA has created and delivers training for child welfare workers and attorneys in the public sector (in Illinois and New York City) helping to improve their effectiveness.

“As JPA’s Executive Director and as a leader in the field, Richard has played an integral role in helping vulnerable children,” said JPA Board President, Jim Sherman. “His passion and intellect are focused on protecting children and insuring their opportunities to grow into adults who are capable of loving and working. He has made significant contributions to the prevention and treatment of child abuse which have been recognized locally and nationally.”

Calica’s 30 years of commitment and dedication will be honored at JPA’s 2008 annual Gala, “Light the Way...Brightening the Hopes of Children". The benefit will take place on Friday, May 16th at the Four Seasons Hotel. For more information about the JPA and the upcoming Gala go to www.juvenile.org.

About the JPA

Juvenile Protective Association (JPA) is a private non-profit agency devoted to protecting children, healing the scars of abuse and neglect, and repairing families. We provide intervention and treatment to break the intergenerational cycle in families that abuse or neglect their children.