It’s April 8, which means we’re just about a week into Child Abuse Prevention Month. With an issue as important as preventing child abuse (as well as neglect), it can be difficult to know where to start getting involved. We’ve compiled a list of small ways that you can take action today to promote strong, healthy families and keep kids safe.
- Get educated. There are myriad resources publicly available to learn more about the issue of child abuse and neglect. Click here to read more.
- Get involved. Ask a local family services agency what you can to do support them. Here at Good Shepherd, we welcome volunteers and items for families that need a little bit of extra help. This may be as simple as lending a few hours to sorting donations or getting a group of friends together to collect diapers for struggling moms.
- Spread awareness. After learning more about preventative factors, share this information with your family, friends, and neighbors. Share information on your own social media page, and many agencies, non-profits, and organizations have posts that you can re-post to your friends to spread the word.
- Support parents. Offer to babysit a child for a few hours, make a meal for a family, or lend an ear to a mom or dad that might be overwhelmed.
- Build community. Get to know your neighbors, members of your church or organization, and individuals from your child’s school. Offer to host a potluck or introduce yourself to your next door neighbor to build a stronger neighborhood for families.
- Report abuse. If you have reason to believe that a child is being abused or neglected, please call the child abuse hotline.
- Spend time with your kids. If you are a parent, one of the most important things that you can do is spend quality time with your children to show them that they are safe, loved, and protected. Even ten minutes spent playing or talking with your child without distractions can make a huge impact.