Did you know April is Child Abuse Prevention Month?

by Jamie Wiener, Executive Director

Think about the last time you watched a pinwheel as the wind rolled through it.  Did it evoke joy or make you smile? Were you a child in this memory?  Was it something you wanted to keep doing? April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the pinwheels are a symbol of prevention as they represent childlike whimsy and lightheartedness.

While our community has many positive aspects, the unfortunate truth is that Henderson County is not ideal for all its residents.  Abuse and neglect of children does occur and instead of being able to experience the whimsy of a pinwheel, many children are worrying about when their next meal will come, what mood mom or dad might come home in, or if they can get to school, how they will disappear into the halls, so they do not get in more trouble.

ACE’s stands for adverse childhood experiences.  These are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood that can have long-term detrimental health implications as children get older.   Examples of ACE’s include experiencing or witnessing abuse or violence of any kind, parental mental illness, parental substance abuse, incarceration of a parent, and divorce. ACE’s are common. Nearly 67% of adults have at least one ACE, but as a person’s ACE score gets higher, the risk of poor health outcomes increases.

No other social risk factor has a more profound impact on developmental psychopathology in adulthood than childhood maltreatment or abuse. While 1 in 7 children in the US experience abuse or neglect, research shows that prevention is possible when we increase access to family support and strengthen community connections to reduce childhood adversity.

We can counterbalance ACE’s with positive childhood experiences.  Things like stable relationships and positive, nurturing environments can support constructive brain development. Data shows that when families have access to support and services when they need them, their emotional and physical well-being improves.

Children & Family Resource Center is committed to providing programming that does just that and has been for more than 25 years.  Our programs build protective factors like parental resilience, knowledge of child development and parenting skills, connections to resources, and the opportunity to make social connections.

Prevent Child Abuse America has a new TV commercial that shares that, “Child abuse and neglect are not a ‘bad parent’ problem—they’re most often a lack of resources. Keeping families out of crisis is the key to preventing child abuse, and prevention is possible when we invest in families before a crisis happens.” For this to happen, families need resources, stability, and a community that cares, not judgment.

Our entire community has a role to play in the prevention of abuse and neglect. No family can do it alone, and neither can one single organization or agency. It takes all of us—families, communities, policymakers, and organizations working together in partnership to focus on community-based solutions, building networks, and systems that support families in crisis. When we take families out of crisis, we support our littlest members of society and ensure that they can build resilience skills and grow into thriving, healthy adults.  When little ones are equipped with brains that are not wired in crisis,  they will learn coping skills that will allow them to focus in school, stay connected to peers, and eventually grow up to be our teachers, nurses, and civil servants.

While Child Abuse Prevention happens every month at Children & Family Resource Center, April is a time to share how important it is for us all to work together.  You can take action. Listen to someone’s story, spend quality time with a child, welcome a new neighbor, or help a stressed parent – be a positive connection.  We can all come together as a community and work upstream to create connections and develop the caring, connected community we all need to thrive.

Our friends at Safelight have put out pinwheels in their spaces as a reminder, and we have some at our office, too.  Take a moment to build your resilience and seek out a pinwheel so you can experience the whimsy and joy that it provides.  Help us ensure all children have an opportunity to grow up healthy, resilient, and ready to thrive.