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April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
Our CASA program is hosting and participating in several events in late March and throughout April.
March 29th we are hosting a presentation from our local Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A.®) 7 Devils Chapter. Our B.A.C.A.® friends will be presenting to local leadership on their program, mission, and services to abused and neglected children. We are hoping that they will receive more referrals from our community after this event.
April 6th is our 4th annual Child Abuse Prevention month ride in collaboration with B.A.C.A.® and other partners. This is a community event to help sponsor additional awareness, share the work of our teams, and have a fun event for our community, families, and children.
On April 27th we will be participation in Family Fun Day at John Topits Park. This super fun event is sponsored by Bay Area Hospital’s Kid’s Hope Center. CASA will be once again doing balloon animals for those hundreds of kids. We come out with sore fingers from tying all those balloons but the smiles on those kid’s faces are worth it!
Join us April 30th from noon to 2pm for our monthly in-service training. This month's topic will be focused on the prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA). We'll talk about everything from the long term affects of CSA, grooming behaviors, and what to do if a child discloses abuse to you. This will be a sensitive topic so we will be mindful of how we approach the information, but please take care of yourself throughout the training. - Jasmine
Child abuse prevention is led by awareness, education, resources, and interventions. That’s a broad spectrum of activities that can reduce incidence of child abuse in our community. This broad spectrum on activities shows us that there are many ways that community members can get involved to help reduce incidence of child abuse and help children and families recover from past incidences of child abuse.
Just a few of the things you can do to help reduce child abuse and/or address the effects of child abuse:
- Become a CASA!
- Become a foster parent!
- Gotta motorcycle and a heart to suport kids? Join B.A.C.A.®
- Volunteer/support/donate to organizations that provide support for children and families.
- Attend a Darkness to Light training at Kid’s Hope Center, Wally’s House, or your local Child Advocacy Center.
- Attend events sponsored by local organizations that are working to reduce child abuse.
- Donate to your local food bank! Yes, food insecurity can contribute to family stress; family stress is a major driver for child neglect in our community.
- Learn how Domestic Violence exposer is an adverse childhood experience that can alter a child’s brain and affect their mental and physical health throughout childhood and into adulthood.
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Take an Adverse Childhood Experiences workshop; South Coast Together hosts these trainings in our Coos-Curry communities. Ask them about upcoming workshops and/or invite them to come to your business or organization.
- Advocate for and support laws that strengthen family supports, fund early childhood education, support childcare services, support home visiting programs, and other family support services.
My challenge to you for April is to do at least one thing that can help prevent or reduce the effects of child abuse. I’d love to hear what you are doing this month, so feel free to send me an email. Maybe I’ll include your ideas in the May newsletter!
-Greg
https://preventchildabuse.org/capmonth2024/
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/fastfact.html
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