April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Family Support Center

  • April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
  • Utah revealed that in 2019, 10,950 children were CONFIRMED victims of child abuse, 37% (4,033) of these were within Salt Lake County.
  • Spreading/raising awareness - why it's important for people to be vigilant
  • It’s even more imperitive we discuss Child Abuse Awareness due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic
    • Studies show in times of crisis child abuse increases, but reporting decreases.
    • DCFS in Utah has seen a more than 50% decrease in reports since the beginning of March, unfortunately this is not due to a decrease in cases. 
    • Professionals report more than half (56%) of all cases to CPS, and teachers the most frequent (16.2%) source of reports.
  • Families are NOT ALONE. There are several agencies still open and ready to help families cope.
  • Family Support Center is one of them
    • Crisis Nurseries are available to accept emergencies 24/7, and respite/stress breaks during posted hours (see website for details)
    • Clinical Services are accepting new clients- medicaid is accepted.
    • Family Mentor Program- 12 week parent education course, that is currently being offered virtually. This is a great opportunity for families to receive in-home, personalized help and learn how to improve parenting skills and cope with the daily stressors of life. 
    • LifeStart Village- a self-sufficiency program for single-parent families and their young children. Housing is included in the program, and applications are currently being accepted. 
    • CAP events: Our Discovery Gateway event has been cancel. List what we’re doing instead 
  • How people listening can help - make sure you’re using healthy coping techniques
    • Zoom, Google Hangouts- it may take extra work but reach out to neighbors and friends

5 Protective Factors

  • Social Connections -call or facetime your neighbors and family members
  • Concrete support in times of need
  • Knowledge of child development
  • Parental Resilience
  • Social and emotional competence of children

Photo: Getty Images


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