World-leading child welfare experts from Israel and the U.S. will come together for a two-day conference on September 10th and 11th to discuss the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Jointly hosted by the Israel-based Haruv Institute, the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Philanthropic Network, the conference will focus on identifying areas of potential collaboration between Israel and the U.S.

The Haruv Institute, which develops and operates learning programs and training for the prevention and treatment of abused and neglected children, is considered one of the leading sources of knowledge in the field in Israel and around the world. Since its establishment in 2007, the Institute has been expanding its activities through international partnerships with renowned institutions, including University of Toronto and the University of California, San Francisco.

According to recent data, Oklahoma ranks among the highest in the U.S. for instances of child abuse and neglect, and a report released by the National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths put Oklahoma in the top five states for the rate of child abuse and neglect deaths. The two-day conference will include a seminar with experts from Israel and the U.S. to advance:

• Training and enrichment for clinicians in the field of child abuse at the local and national level;
• Relevance and implementation of training programs and improved professional training approaches;
• Contribution of research to the development of knowledge in the field; and
• Appropriate strategies for integrating research into innovative programs for the
• prevention and treatment of child abuse.

The collaboration between the Haruv Institute and the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa began as a result of Israel’s standing, and the Haruv Institute’s reputation, as a world leader in researching and documenting child abuse and neglect, as well as leading training programs for professionals dealing with such cases. Prof. Hillel Schmid, former director of the Haruv Institute who oversaw Israel’s public committee to investigate the incidence of children and youth at risk and in distress (the “Schmid Committee”), initiated the conference.

The Haruv Institute was founded by the Schusterman Foundation-Israel, a part of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Philanthropic Network (CLSPN), in 2007 to develop knowledge and advanced training programs for the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect within families. Its goal is to improve solutions available to the professional community responsible for child welfare.

Among other areas of interest, CLSPN hopes to foster the safety and security of children by developing new knowledge and methodologies to confront child abuse, especially in Israel and its hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In Israel, it supports organizations such as Haruv, Beit Lynn, the National Council for the Child and Noga Center, and in Oklahoma, it supports the OU-Child Abuse Pediatrics, as well as the Child Protection Coalition, Family and Children’s Services, Parent Child Center and Youth Services of Tulsa.