Only through understanding child abuse and neglect and evaluating the services intended to address the issue can Idaho’s Heart really meet its goal. Our research efforts will include investigating the causes and correlating factors of abuse and neglect as well as the effect of maltreatment. We will evaluate programs on a local, state, and national level to ensure the best practices are being used. All research projects will be conducted with the intention that results will increase services to children and families as well as the level of funding for those services.  In addition, Idaho's Heart will provide links to existing research on child abuse and it's prevention through our Links page.