April’s Child Abuse Prevention Month Highlights the Importance of “Building A Hopeful Future, Together”.
WICHITA, Kan. – March 26, 2024 – April is National Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month, a time to focus on community collaboration and collective ways to help families and children thrive. Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL), as the Kansas chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, and other child wellness partners join forces to recognize the prevention teams, programs and partners working year-round to create awareness about the public health issue of abuse and neglect. The theme of this year’s awareness and impact campaign, led by Prevent Child Abuse America and its national network of state chapters, is “Building A Hopeful Future, Together.”
Children who live in families with access to economic and concrete support are less likely to experience abuse and neglect. And yet, too often our society thinks of raising healthy children as a parent or caregiver’s responsibility alone. This simply isn’t true. Community support and partnerships can help lighten the burden on families and strengthen communities from the ground up.
“Every family and child should have the access and support to live purposeful lives with hope for the future,” said KCSL CEO Gail Cozadd. “Every day, a connected network of prevention leaders, lived-experience experts and a host of partners in prevention link arms to build evidence that supports family-strengthening policies that can help lift the load for overburdened families.”
Primary Prevention
Throughout CAP Month, KCSL and its national organization Prevent Child Abuse America support building a narrative of hope for children and families through collaboration and the creation of an ecosystem of primary prevention. Communities must build positive futures together in partnership.
“During this year’s Child Abuse Prevention Month, we are on a mission to change the way our society values and cares for our children and families to address the structural and social determinants of health and wellbeing, including poverty and systemic racism,” shared Dr. Melissa Merrick, President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America. “In partnership, we can disrupt long-held beliefs about prevention systems and expand family-friendly policies, like paid sick and family leave, to help reduce stress on our parents and caregivers. Prevention is hard work, but it is also heart work.”
During April and all year long, you can help KCSL advance family-centered prevention programs and policies by taking action in the following ways:
- Show your support for positive childhood experiences and preventing adversity by wearing blue on April 5, Wear Blue Day. Post a photo or video on social media and include the #WearBlueDay2024 and #CAPMonthKS hashtags.
- Participate in Prevent Child Abuse America’s nationwide Digital Advocacy Day on April 16. Contact your member of Congress to advocate for increased support and funding for child abuse prevention programs.
- Follow KCSL on Facebook and Instagram and share our posts throughout April. Encourage friends and family to do the same. Use hashtags #BuildingHopefulFutures and #CAPMonthKS to signify your commitment to helping children, families and entire communities to thrive.
- Plant a pinwheel garden in your community! To order pinwheels and more ways to get involved in CAP Month, please visit kcsl.org/resources/cap-month/.
About Kansas Children’s Service League
Stronger families start at Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL). Founded in 1893, KCSL is a statewide, nonprofit agency that serves thousands of Kansas children and families each year. KCSL’s mission is to protect and promote the well-being of children. Our programs work with children and families in the areas of health, safety and education to succeed and break cycles of neglect, abuse and trauma. We help both children and parents develop skills for success in their families, schools and workplaces. KCSL is also the Kansas chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America and Circle of Parents.
About Prevent Child Abuse America
Prevent Child Abuse America is a leading champion for all children in the United States—today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. Our vision is a world in which all children and families are living a purposeful and happy life with hope for the future. Founded in 1972, Prevent Child Abuse America is the nation’s oldest and largest organization committed to preventing child abuse and neglect before it happens. Healthy Families America, Prevent Child Abuse America’s signature program and one of the largest evidence-based home visiting models in the country, supports 70,000 families each year.
Prevent Child Abuse America has 30 years of demonstrated positive outcomes with home visiting, sometimes partnering with families that span generations. Prevent Child Abuse America’s respected experts develop innovative, evidence-based research and prevention strategies that our vast network then puts into action. Prevent Child Abuse America policy officers raise public awareness and advocate for family-friendly policies, structures, budgets, and programs at the national, state, and local levels that truly create more equitable, responsive, and effective systems to ensure all children, parents, and caregivers get what they need to succeed when they need it. Prevent Child Abuse America is one of the highest-rated charities for children in the nation by Consumer Reports and charity oversight organizations, including Charity Navigator, and Candid. Visit preventchildabuse.org to learn more.
