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In April, we recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Every action that strengthens families helps prevent abuse and creates a nurturing environment for children to thrive in Washington. This could be a parent spending quality time with their child, a childcare provider offering support and resources, or a neighbor providing a meal to reduce family stress.
This year's campaign theme, "Building a Hopeful Future, Together," reminds us that creating a better future for all children requires collective effort. By laying strong foundations, we improve the world for everyone. Building healthy communities is a continuous effort. We all play a role in ensuring children have positive experiences and families have access to necessary resources. Strong communities are built on stable foundations, and addressing underlying causes of health and social inequities benefits everyone. Sometimes, this means addressing past injustices. Taking proactive steps to address inequality allows us to create safe, stable, and nurturing environments for all.
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Strengthening Families Washington, a program within the Department of Children, Youth and Families, aims to empower families through various strategies. The program focuses on five protective factors that reduce child abuse and neglect:
- Understanding parenting and child development.
- Building social connections.
- Cultivating parental resilience.
- Providing concrete support in times of need.
- Enhancing children's social and emotional competence through nurturing and attachment.
By providing information to parents, child care professionals and others who work with children, they help build these protective factors in families with young children and build family strength and a family environment that promotes optimal child and youth development.
Strengthening Families in Washington believes in partnering with parents and caregivers and encourage leadership and collaboration in all of their work.
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Child abuse prevention webinar | Children’s Advocacy Center of Pierce County | April 9, noon
Child abuse and neglect are preventable, and communities and families have better, healthier outcomes when they are provided education, support and have increased awareness about well-being and strategies for prevention.
Child Abuse Prevention month toolkit
To celebrate and spread awareness about Child Abuse Prevention month, DCYF has a variety of free items available for distribution throughout the state. This includes a prevention month coloring page, strengthening families coloring book, and the strengthening families activity packet, stickers, poster kits, and temporary tattoos.
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Child abuse can deeply affect a person's mental and physical health. A study published in the September 2022 Aging and Health Research found a strong link between early physical abuse and long-term health issues. People who were abused as children are more likely to develop chronic illnesses later in life, such as diabetes, cancer, migraines, arthritis, heart disease, and COPD. They also face a higher risk of mental health problems like depression and anxiety.
Healing from child abuse is a personal journey that varies for each individual. It involves stages like acknowledging the abuse, seeking help from professionals, building a support system, reclaiming control over one's life, processing emotions, understanding how the abuse has affected them, and finding empowerment and growth. It's important to maintain resilience, as setbacks may occur.
Narrative therapy is a helpful approach for rewriting one's life story and changing how they perceive their past experiences. It separates individuals from their challenges, allowing them to understand how these challenges may have unintentionally benefited them. This understanding empowers individuals to change their thought patterns and behaviors, creating a future that aligns with their true selves.
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Millions of children are home right now without the support systems that keep them safe. Abuse happens in isolation, and there are many children who are suffering and struggling. Everyone one of us matters and needs a voice. Every child deserves a healthy, safe and nurturing environment. Raise your hand, speak up and join us in being part of the change!
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