April Is National Child Abuse Prevention Month!
The Child Abuse Prevention Month of April is right around the corner and our Safety Awareness Education characters are traveling around the US and beyond to support efforts to end child abuse by empowering children, informing adults and educating communities.
Earlier this year we participated in the 31st Annual San Diego International Conference for Child and Family Maltreatment. The objective of this conference is to develop and enhance knowledge in the prevention, recognition, assessment and treatment of all forms of maltreatment including those related to family violence, support for families, prevention, leadership, policy making, and translating the latest research into action. We had national and international participants visit our booth and here are some of the requests for education materials we received following:
“We see 3 children a week in our abuse clinic. I would love to give them educational materials that are appropriate for their ages. 80% of our children are under age 12, the majority are ages 4-6.
Cynthia Brewer, Billings Clinic – a 501 (c) (3) organization – Billings, Montana
“I am hoping to begin safety education in the local schools, but don’t have any tools or curriculum to show the schools what I would like to teach. This would aid me in beginning a plan to do the education in schools.”
Cheyenne Orcutt, Central Minnesota Child Advocacy Center, St. Cloud, Minnesota
“I am a forensic interviewer at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeast Louisiana and I am launching a prevention program within our agency. We serve rural parishes and at this point there are no services or education options for parents, children or educators dealing with child abuse and prevention. I am hoping to reach out to schools to work with children and teachers. I am also hoping to offer community classes to work with the public and educate them on child abuse and the importance of recognizing the signs and understanding how to prevent it. I would be thrilled to incorporate anything you could give me.”
Sara McBroom, Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeast Louisiana, Monroe, Louisiana