Prevent Child Abuse Awareness Month
Join us in building a hopeful future together for Child Abuse Prevention Month. Every April, we take the month to acknowledge child abuse prevention work by offering trainings, hosting events, and having conversations with those doing the important work.
Research indicates that in 2023, Georgia ranked 37th in the nation for overall child well-being. Recent data has also shown that child abuse is on the rise across the nation. Prevention work is key in reducing the number of children impacted by abuse and neglect. A big piece of that prevention effort is how the community supports and uplifts a child and their family. When a community takes a unified front in the space of prevention work, it can make a difference in the lives of children and families.
The theme for this Child Abuse Prevention Month is Building a Hopeful Future Together. This looks like communities working together to ensure all children and families are safe, stable, have nurturing relationships and environments, and ultimately thrive. As the local PCA Council, Cobb Collaborative is working to bring community members and organizations together in the effort of prevention work. Throughout the month, there will be many opportunities to get engaged and support the theme of building a hopeful future together.
The first opportunity, Wear Blue Day, was this past Friday and was a wonderful example of the community coming together, even in different locations, to show support for CAP Month and spread awareness on the importance of prevention work.
We are also working with wonderful partners, doing pinwheel gardens around the community.
The pinwheel has been embraced as the symbol for prevention efforts that strengthen families and communities. It is used as the national public awareness campaign effort for Prevent Child Abuse Month.
In the space of prevention work, Georgia has developed a plan called the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Plan, CANPP, which has 6 objectives, all focused on prevention. The whole vision is to help child-and family-serving organizations, community members, families, and businesses create nurturing environments for healthy families. Cobb Collaborative serves as the CANPP convener for our region, covering Cobb County, Clayton County, and Gwinnett County.
We hope as awareness of this plan increases, prevention work is thought of as something anybody can be a part of.
We encourage our community members and partners to participate in Child Abuse Prevention Month and support the lives of children and families. Visit cobbcollaborative.org/PCACobb to learn more about how to get involved this month and build a hopeful future together. Lastly, we have a fundraiser, with proceeds directly impacting efforts to prevent child abuse and provide essential resources and support for those in need. To contribute to the fundraiser, visit our website, cobbcollaborative.org/PCACobb.