- Parents
Make the safety and well-being of children and families a priority!
Whether it’s a message in your email newsletter, an op-ed in your local paper, or a feature on your website, strengthening families means letting your community know that we all can play a role in supporting families. Use the free resources in this toolkit to educate and engage your community in the many ways they can support children, youth, and families during NCAPM!
This year, NCAPM will continue the theme “Doing Things Differently: Moving From the Challenge to the Change.” The theme urges us to intentionally explore, engage, and invest in innovative ideas to transform the way we partner with families to deliver services and supports. It is essential for us to create a child welfare system that can overcome challenges and provide equitable support to all families.
Summary
Whether by proclamation, through social media, with graphics, or through other means, spreading the word about child abuse prevention lets your community know they can take action to strengthen families and help them thrive. Use these free prevention outreach tools to engage your community in supporting children, youth, and families this National Child Abuse Prevention Month!
Tags
- PREVENTION
- PREVENTING CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
- PROTECTIVE FACTORS FRAMEWORK
- CULTURE AS A PROTECTIVE FACTOR
- PREVENTION PLANNING
Background
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Take Action
National Child Abuse Prevention Month 2024: Op-Ed Template Intro
Text
National Child Abuse Prevention Month is an opportunity to educate others and raise awareness about
the importance of preventing child maltreatment. These prevention efforts multiply in effectiveness
when they reach wider audiences.
Help us spread the word about National Child Abuse Prevention Month in your community by using this
op-ed template. Use it as written and fill in the local facts and statistics that are most relevant to your
audience or tailor it to your own community needs. For more data and information about child
maltreatment, see the additional resources below.
Op-Ed Template
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This initiative is rooted in communities working
together to serve children and their families in meaningful, impactful ways that provide families with
the support they need, especially during challenging times.
According to the latest national data, an estimated 1,990 children died from abuse and neglect in the
United States in federal fiscal year 2022. Approximately 3.1 million children across the country received
either an investigation or an alternative response by child protective services, and 558,899 children
were found to be victims of child maltreatment. [Insert local data if available.]
Each year, we educate others and raise awareness about the impact child abuse has on children and
society. Providing information about best practices that are known to build parental capacity through
protective factors is key to helping families become more resilient.
Protective factors are conditions or attributes that mitigate or eliminate maltreatment risk factors and can
increase the health and well-being of children and families. They give parents the tools they need to
parent effectively, even under stress. Protective factors include nurturing and attachment, knowledge of
parenting and child youth development, parental resilience, social connections, and concrete supports
for parents.
National Child Abuse Prevention Month is more than just raising awareness about the reality of child
maltreatment. It’s about taking action to reduce it. [Insert community name] can join in this national
effort by providing our families with the support they need. Issues such as a family’s neighborhood or
income level and other societal factors can make parenting more challenging. By reducing these
vulnerabilities through strengths-based approaches that truly support families, we can begin to mitigate
child maltreatment risks and improve the outcomes of children, youth, and families.
To make child abuse less likely to occur, we must invest in our community and our families. In [insert
community name], consider partnering with organizations that are family focused and strength
based. [Insert information about concrete supports available in your community, organizations
that support families, or other relevant local information.]
All children deserve to grow up in safe, supportive environments. This National Child Abuse
Prevention Month and throughout the year, help make this possible by supporting families and
spreading the word about the importance of child abuse prevention. For more information and
resources, visit the National Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign page. Together, we can end
child abuse and neglect.
Additional Resources
Child Maltreatment 2022
Children’s Bureau
2023/2024 Prevention Resource Guide
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Prevention
Child Welfare Information Gateway
[Insert your logo here]
Release Date (or FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE) Contact: Name and organization
Phone: Contact phone number
Email: Contact email address
Help Strengthen Families and Prevent Child Abuse
April Is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
City, State–April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. [Insert essential information about
the who, what, when, where, and why of your community’s prevention month event, program, or
initiative.]
This month and throughout the year, [organization name] encourages all individuals and
organizations to play a role in making [community name] a better place for children and families.
By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their
children, we can help promote the social and emotional well-being of children and youth and
prevent child maltreatment within families and communities.
Protective factors are the strengths and resources families draw on during difficult times to shield
them from life’s stresses. Research shows that when parents possess protective factors, the risk
for neglect and abuse diminish and optimal outcomes for children, youth, and families are
promoted. Major protective factors include knowledge of parenting, knowledge of child
development, parental resilience, social connections, and concrete supports.
[Insert a quote from your organization’s spokesperson. An example is a call to action
encouraging people to participate in prevention efforts.]
[Add additional details about local events or programs.]
In support of these efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s
Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, together with Child Welfare Information Gateway,
and the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention
developed the 2023/2024 Prevention Resource Guide. The guide provides more information
about protective factors and highlights examples of innovative prevention approaches being
implemented by communities across the country.
For more information about child abuse prevention programs and activities during the month of
April, and throughout the year, contact [organization’s contact information.]