April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and as we round out this month, we would like to highlight resources and tools that advocate for child abuse prevention and provide important information about this topic.
Preventing child abuse starts in the home, and two helpful starting points for parents, caregivers, and families are learning how to help your kids safely and responsibly engage with the online world and learning how you and your family can engage with existing child abuse prevention efforts in your community. Read on for resources from us and our partners that will help equip you in both areas.
PARTNER RESOURCES AND TOOLS
- Every year, the Children’s Bureau releases the Child Maltreatment Report that provides information about services offered by state and local child protective services agencies to help children and families. You can view the 2022 Child Maltreatment Report here and the Children’s Bureau’s 2023/2024 Prevention Resource Guide here.
- The CDC provides a Fast Facts page that lists risks and protective factors as well as prevention strategies for child abuse and neglect.
- The Kids Count Data Center provides data and statistics on children, youth, and families, including demographics, economic well-being, education, health, and more. You can view data for the nation or your individual state.
- America’s Kids Belong advocates on behalf of kids in foster care and has existing efforts in 9 U.S. states. Visit their website to view both national and state-specific information and resources, blog posts, and to learn more about how they support foster-friendly communities.
ENGAGE TOGETHER® AND JUSTICE U™ RESOURCES
- Justice U™ offers the Essential Knowledge for Addressing the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Series, a 3-part training series that equips critical roles and professions with skills to prevent and address CSEC. The series was created for those interacting with and caring for children and youth in foster care and provides 8 different role-based tracks for learners’ specific training needs.
- Engage Together Blog: Visit our blog to view previous posts about child abuse prevention, community, state, and nationwide efforts, and more information and resources. We suggest starting with this post: Child Abuse Prevention Month: Resources and Tools to Help You Support Families and Children
- The Online Safety Toolkit from Engage Together and Justice U equips parents and caregivers with the knowledge and information they need to be proactive and engaged as they help their children safely and responsibly navigate the internet and social media. Visit the link to download the toolkit today.
You can also take time to learn what types of organizations already exist in your area that protect and advocate for children. Just a few examples may include child advocate centers, children’s centers, your local CASA/GAL program, or your local school and guidance counselors. You can reach out to organizations and groups like these in your local community to find out more about their efforts, volunteer your time, meet a need, or maybe just stop by with a cup of coffee. A little support goes a long way, and each of us is uniquely positioned, right where we are, to make a difference.