April has arrived and brought with her longer days, warmer weather, showers that will hopefully bring flowers, and Atlanta Braves baseball. These gifts often outshine one of the lesser known April events, National Child Abuse Prevention (NCAP) month. The goal of NCAP month is to recognize the importance of families and communities working together to strengthen families, which in turn helps prevent child abuse and neglect. This collaboration creates prevention services and supports which help protect children and produce thriving families.
A Community Effort
Crossnore recognizes that it takes a community effort to prevent child abuse and neglect. Crossnore is currently well-equipped to serve children and families after they have been affected by abuse or neglect. We now recognize the need for early intervention services. These prevention services identify and support families in crisis before out-of-home services are needed. Crossnore is implementing the Homebuilders® Family Preservation program, which is a nationally-known and evidence-based program. Homebuilders provides in-home crisis intervention, counseling, and life skills education for families whose children are at imminent risk of being removed from the home.
How can you help?
As Crossnore stretches itself, how can you begin to work together with the community to help strengthen families? Below are five ways you can learn more and help spread awareness during National Child Abuse Prevention month.
- Learn more about the risk factors and how to report child maltreatment. Click HERE to take the self-guided online training provided by Prevent Child Abuse NC.
- Learn facts about Child Abuse and Neglect to help others seperate facts from myths. Did you know child abuse doesn’t just occur in “poor” or “bad” neighborhoods? Child abuse and neglect crosses all demographic barriers. Did you know that most abuse doesn’t occur at the hand of a stranger? In fact, relatives or close family friends perpetrate 90% of child sexual abuse. Click HERE to find more facts and information by reading the most recent Child Maltreatment Report by the Children’s Bureau.
- Reach out to our Fostering Communities team to help schedule a Trauma 101 training for your church or community organization. Helping to spread awareness of the impacts of trauma in the lives of others helps to strengthen and deepen the community roots.
- Organize a day to wear blue and spread awareness within your workplace, community, or family. If blue just isn’t your color, there are other ways to raise awareness. Consider planting a small garden of blue pinwheels at your place of business. You could also purchase a blue pinwheel pin to open up the conversation.
- Honor this year’s theme “Connections Matter” by finding ways you can #BeAConnection within your community. Click HERE to view a list of activities provided by Prevent Child Abuse NC.
