To advance the Promise to Protect, PROTECT's campaign staff, consultants, and National Advisory Board design and plan well-defined, winnable political campaigns, both nationally and in the individual states. We will use the proven tools of modern political campaigning—polling, direct mail, media, political contributions, and voter mobilization—to fight for children in a better, smarter way.

• Legal Representation:  Juveniles accused of committing crimes get legal representation. So do accused child molesters. But in most states, child victims of abuse are thrown into a high-stakes legal fight as the only party in the courtroom without competent legal support. And if they lose, they might be the only crime victim ordered to go home with their rapist. PROTECT believes that there is a role for volunteer advocates, but never as a substitute for actual legal representation or a way to cut criminal justice costs.

• Guarantee every child victim access to counseling and medical care:  Everyday, children who have been hurt and traumatized are forced to suffer further at the hands of government bureaucracies, often being denied the care they desperately need. Every child victim or alleged victim should have immediate and full access to mental health services and medical care, without undue delay, restriction or red tape.

• Reform court proceedings:  Prosecutors and child legal advocates have pointed to dozens of very specific reforms that can make criminal justice and court proceedings more child-friendly. Yet children continue to endure painful court delays, age-inappropriate questioning and intimidating courtroom procedures. PROTECT believes that court proceedings should be reformed now to help children—and prosecutors-—find justice.

• Circle of Trust Campaign:  Studies show that 80-90% of children who are sexually abused are victimized by adults they know, not by strangers or kidnappers. These crimes—by family members, clergy, educators and predators in youth programs—take a horrible toll on children. The aftermath of these crimes will also take a tremendous toll on society, through crime and social problems later. PROTECT's Circle of Trust Campaign will continue our successful efforts to target state laws that decriminalize incest, while also working on other circle of trust crimes.

• Demand Accountability for Prosecutorial and Judicial Practices:  When they pursue crimes against children professionally and aggressively, prosecutors and judges are true heroes for kids. Too often however, prosecutors turn away from child abuse cases they see as challenging, time-consuming and low-profile... and judges become callous and cynical. As public servants and elected officials, prosecutors—and judges—have a duty to give crimes against our children their utmost priority, expertise and effort.

• Two Strikes You're Out:  Prosecutors can't always get a conviction the first time a predator is caught. But PROTECT believes that limits on plea and charge bargaining must be set! We are mounting a national petition drive and legislative campaigns to require serious imprisonment upon a second conviction for sexual molestation or other grievous injury to a child.

• Fight Child Pornography and Human Trafficking:  CIA and State Department reports say that international crime networks devoted to human trafficking are growing alarmingly. Production and distribution of child pornography has also become a global business. PROTECT is researching now how domestic political will can be focused to fight these evils.

• Promise to Protect Campaign:  The most difficult battles are usually for the things that cost money. But we are convinced that there are some things most Americans consider common sense and will support generously. When a child cries out for help or is thrust into a terrifying and confusing social welfare and criminal justice system, our sacred obligation is to provide that child with well-trained, competent help. If we fail at that, we fail the child. PROTECT is working on two simple initiatives that will improve child protection: aggressive recruitment of child protection professionals through student loan forgiveness programs (such as those available to corrections officers) and other incentives; and national or state training academies to teach both CPS and law enforcement professionals hard investigative skills.

• Expand Background Checks:  Simple statewide or national criminal background checks are not enough for those working with children. Most predators have victimized many children before they are ever caught. PROTECT is encouraging the use of CPS records and other registries and we want to increase requirements on child-serving agencies to conduct diligent background checks.

• Lifetime or Long-Term Intensive Supervision:  Sex offender registries provide only symbolic or marginal protection to communities, and research shows that treatment programs simply cannot "cure" child sexual offenders. If and when they are released from prison, these offenders should be subject to intensive parole or probation supervision for long periods of time, for the safety of children.