April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

By:

Posted: April 1, 2011

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, Paso a Paso encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making Taos County a better place for families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help prevent child abuse and neglect by strengthening families and communities.

Research shows that five important factors are present in healthy families. Promoting these factors is among the most effective ways to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. They are:

• Nurturing and attachment
• Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development
• Parental resilience
• Social connections
• Concrete supports for parents

April is a time to celebrate the important role that communities play in protecting children.  Everyone’s participation is critical. Focusing on ways to promote the five protective factors, in every interaction with families, is the best thing our community can do to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect.

Ways to strengthen families during National Child Abuse Prevention Month:

* Role play emotions with kids-what do you do when you're happy, sad, or frustrated?
* Talk to parents in your program about discipline alternatives.
* Help a parent "catch their child being good."

Find more ideas for how to prevent child abuse in our community, visit the following websites:

Strengthening Families and Communites: 2011 Resource Guide

NM Children Youth and Families