April has been recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month since the early 1980’s. The month is used to spread the word, educate, and unify the community with the goal of preventing child abuse. Every action taken towards prevention helps make a difference in the well-being of children and establishes their safety as a priority. One of the most important things that we can do is support families, parents, and caregivers all year long in ways that promote and build upon their strengths and enable them to care for their children safely before maltreatment even becomes a possibility.
As the Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) for Riverside County, HOPE Collaborative is working extensively on educating the community by providing resources, trainings, and attending community resource events. This year, HOPE Collaborative created a Child Abuse Prevention and Community Resources Booklet. This booklet is intended to educate the community on what child abuse is, offer preventative and protective factors, and provide resources that are available in Riverside County.
HOPE Collaborative is partnering with community organizations to provide workshops to educate families and caregivers about: what is child abuse, the prevention aspect, and the variety of resources that these organizations have to offer. These workshops will be offered virtually, in both English and Spanish, each Monday in April.
During the month of April, HOPE Collaborative will be attending numerous community resource events throughout the county. While attending these events, HOPE Collaborative's goal is to increase awareness on the importance of child abuse prevention and continue to promote the social and emotional well-being of children and families in a safe, stable, and nurturing environment.
As the CAPC, we recognize and commemorate the children that have lost their lives to child abuse or neglect by holding an annual flag raising ceremony. This year, this ceremony will take place on March 28th at 4:00pm at the County Administrative Center in Riverside. All community members and professionals are welcome to attend and encouraged to wear blue as we come together to bring awareness to child abuse prevention.
March 31st
Is National Wear Blue Day, it’s a day where we build momentum leading into Child Abuse Prevention Month. Everyone in the community can show their visible commitment to Child Abuse Prevention. You can share your selfies, photos, and videos of what you and your family wore for Wear Blue Day by using the hashtag #wearbluedayrivco. You can also tag HOPE Collaborative using @HopeCollab.
A Proclamation on National Child Abuse Prevention Month, 2022
Read more on President Biden’s Proclamation on National Child Abuse Prevention Month by clicking HERE.
April 23rd through the 29th is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Where we encourage everyone in the community to support victims build trust, engage communities, and educate those you care about regarding Marsy’s Law and how to be a caring support for those on the path to becoming survivors.
The fourth Friday of April is also Children’s Memorial Day, a time when we reflect on the innocent young lives lost to the senseless violent acts of abuse. A somber day because when a child’s life is cut short especially due to the violent cruelty of abuse there is a darkness that falls upon a community and the world. Child Abuse Prevention takes all of us being informed of the societal factors, knowing the signs of abuse, and most importantly knowing how to stop abuse. Find out how you can stop child abuse in your community by scheduling one of our Educational Workshops and/or Mandated Reporter Trainings. It takes all of us collectively to ensure every child is guaranteed a safe, nurturing, loving community to call home.
Make a one time or recurring contribution to show your support for Riverside County’s Child Abuse Prevention efforts! Click the following button to pledge your support.