IMMEDIATE ALERT
SPOTLIGHT: NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH
Provided by Parent Strong Prevention Services
In April, Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth’s (SCSCY) Parent Strong Prevention Program is shining a spotlight on National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, Parent Strong Prevention Services encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making Mississippi a better place for children and 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 creating strong and thriving children, youth, and families in our communities.
“April is a time to celebrate the important role that communities play in protecting children and strengthening families”, said Barry Dixon, Division Director of Parent Strong Prevention Services. “Everyone's participation is critical. Focusing on ways to connect with families is the best thing our community can do to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect."
Research shows that protective factors are present in healthy families. Protective factors are conditions or attributes of individuals, families, communities, or the larger society that mitigate risk and promote healthy development and wellbeing. Promoting the following protective factors is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect by parental resilience, knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development, social connections, concrete support for parents, and social and emotional competence of children.
“What I have gained from parents and information from ACT Raising Safe Kids curriculum is children learn as much, if not more from your actions as they do from your words. At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents which involves responding, preventing, monitoring, mentoring, and modeling can help individuals be successful parents.”
Tenicka Gibson, MSW, CMHT Prevention Coordinator
Parent Strong Prevention Services primary goal is to increase knowledge of child development, developmental expectations and parenting skills by using an evidenced based approach which will reduce child abuse and neglect, increase parental resilience, increase healthy social connections, increase social and emotional connections, increase knowledge and ability to access concrete support, and increase knowledge of parenting and child development.
For more information about Southern Christian Services Child and Youth Parent Strong Prevention Program, please contact Tenicka Gibson MSW, Prevention Services Coordinator at 601-354-0983 ext. 233 or by email tgibson@southernchristianservices.org.
Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth’s Parent Strong Prevention Program is a community-based program that helps decrease child abuse and neglect by educating and empowering families to create safe, stable, nurturing and healthy environments that protect children from violence and maltreatment. The Prevention Program uses the ACT/ Raising Safe Kids model which focuses on understanding of children’s needs, child development and parenting skills. This program includes workshops for parents/caregivers, parent café, resource directory and library, mental health or family counselors,employment seeking assistance, and referral to job training, violence prevention, childcare, respite, crisis care services, and basic economic needs.
NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION ARTICLES
Making Healthy Connections With Your Family