April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Inflation is on a rise, prices go up for everything and as parents get busy adding ways to make more income, more tension and stress are involved with surviving the inflation in America. Children, though, shouldn’t have to pay for the stress or the mental health issues of parents. Below, I share a video of what a distress hand signal looks like. It is important for kids to know what this looks like. Whether it is their own parents or babysitters or at school. If they are distressed, they should know what hand signals would help them survive any attack without having to speak.
According to The Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida,
In 2021 alone,
- The Child Protection Team has assisted over 1,400 children in providing forensic interviews and medical exams.
- The Family Alliance Team has provided nearly 4,500 therapy hours to child victims and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
- The Family Advocacy Program has served over 850 adults and children.
- The Nurturing Parenting Program has served over 500 parents.
- The Beesley’s Paw Prints Pet Therapy has over 40 pet therapy teams working with children at CAC and other agencies and schools throughout the community.
Founded in 1981, the mission of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida (CAC) is to provide a coordinated response to child victims of abuse and neglect; and improve the lives of at-risk children and their families through prevention services. At CAC, we assess and treat children believed to have been physically or sexually abused or to be at risk of such abuse, and a provide a safe place for them to come and be heard. We offer abuse determination services as well as therapeutic counseling, parenting education and prevention programs in Lee, Hendry, Glades and Charlotte Counties.
We are one of the largest children’s advocacy centers in the state of Florida and the only one in the four-county area accredited by the National Children’s Alliance.
If you suspect or know that a child is being abused, call the Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE (962-2873). Calls are confidential. Or you can report the incident online at www.dcf.state.fl.us/abuse/report.
