Speak Up …
Communities Say Yes to Kids and
No To Violence and Neglect
Against Children !

Every community has opportunities during the month of April to organize child abuse prevention activities.

Form coalitions from groups who work with children. Organize Blue Ribbon campaigns, events, parades, educational opportunities for parents, and other related activities. Involve your local media and encourage parents to stay informed of special events in your community.

Teachers

Schools, Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs) and other parent organizations can coordinate efforts with the local child welfare board, law enforcement agency, or Child Protective Services office.

• Schedule training sessions for teachers and parents about the impact of child abuse and neglect in your community
• Form a partnership to prevent child abuse and neglect and consider activities to begin in April and continue throughout the year.
• Work with high school journalism classes to publish information about child abuse prevention in school newspapers.
• Hold student contests for writing essays and drawing posters about positive parenting or the importance of “family” and award prizes for the best entries. Display them at local libraries, banks, county courthouses, or shopping centers.

  Early Childhood Professionals

• Help parents make informed choices for child care. Encourage them to get to know their child's teacher and become familiar with the center's policies.
• Encourage parents to spend quality time interacting with children. Interactions such as playing games and reading books with children create quality time.
• Help your community become involved in a local coalition to raise public awareness of the importance of early child development.

Faith Community Leaders

• Organize a month of "family-centered" activities for your congregation with workshops on parenting and child abuse prevention. Invite experts to speak to parents and youth groups focusing on prevention.
• Organize training sessions on how to recognize the signs of abuse and ways to deal with victims and their families.
• Participate in local child abuse prevention activities as a congregation.

Parents with Special Needs Children

• Develop respectful relationships with professionals and other parents. Work with professionals to locate available resources for children with special needs.
• Organize a peer support group to share joys, problems, and solutions. Maintain social integration and connections outside the home.
• Know the signs and symptoms of child abuse. Special needs children require extra attention from people who care for them. Interview potential caregivers and ask about their training and qualifications.

Businesses

• Make a list of community resources available to employees that includes after-school programs and parent support services and classes.
• Coordinate fundraising events for Love Our Children USA with companies who support children and families.
• Request Love Our Children USA to speak at your company
• Promote child abuse prevention awareness by printing ads on shopping bags or messages on customer receipts. Print bookmarks and use as bag or paycheck stuffers. Post child abuse prevention materials on employee bulletin boards.
• Allow employees time to volunteer in child abuse prevention efforts. Distribute blue ribbons to employees and customers.
• Promote quality child care among employees. Start or support a day-care center for employees.

Health Care Professionals

• Counsel new parents on child development including the importance of providing nurturing care, talking, singing, and reading to their babies.
• Display child abuse prevention posters in waiting rooms, clinics, and emergency rooms.
• Help develop information kits with positive parenting information for new mothers, especially teen mothers.
• Organize and participate in health fairs, parenting classes, and other community outreach programs.
• Let parents know that they can call you regarding parental problems with newborns.
• Counsel parents on positive child discipline techniques.