History

INNOVATING FOR 45 YEARS

In 1962, Dr. C. Henry Kempe and his colleagues were the first to recognize and identify child abuse and neglect in the defining paper, The Battered Child Syndrome. This paper was regarded as the single most significant event in creating awareness and exposing the reality of child abuse. It gave doctors a way to understand and identify child abuse and neglect, along with information about how to report suspected abuse. Dr. Kempe was a tenacious researcher and a relentless advocate, working tirelessly to change policy, laws and perceptions to better protect children.

A decade after The Battered Child Syndrome paper was published, Dr. Kempe founded The Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect. Professionals at the Kempe Center work to improve the care and well-being of all children by strengthening families, communities, and the systems that serve them.

A few years later, in 1976, The Kempe Foundation was formed to engage community, professionals and business leaders to increase awareness of the issue of child abuse and neglect, advocate for children and secure resources for the ongoing work of the Kempe Center.

Today, The Kempe Center is recognized as a world leader that is finding innovative ways to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect. The Kempe Foundation has grown to support experts in the field in Colorado and across the world, as well as to advocate for children through legislation both locally and nationally, and to engage with communities to ensure all children have the opportunity to develop in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment.

Kempe is located at the Gary Pavilion on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado.