Child Abuse Prevention Month kicks off at Colorado State Capitol
Every year, for the entire month of April, leaders work to highlight the importance of strengthening families and protecting Colorado's children.
Leaders from the Colorado Department of Human Services, Illuminate Colorado and the Colorado Department of Early Childhood rallied together on Monday morning to officially launch Child Abuse Prevention Month at the Colorado State Capitol. The crowd wore blue in solidarity with thousands of other events across the United States, reinforcing the importance communities working together to strengthen families. This is one of the most effective ways to prevent child abuse and neglect.
"When you're a family who's really struggling to make ends meet or a parent really working to understand your child in adolescent development. You wonder: What's normal? What's not normal? All of us need that support and we want to be here for families across the board," said Minna Castillo Cohen, director of the Office of Children, Youth and Families at CDHS.
CBS News Colorado's Mekialaya White emceed the kickoff event, introducing speakers who shared their powerful lived experiences.
Timiya Jackson, executive director of Heart & Hand Center of Denver, shared how support she received as a child helped lead her to her career today.
"As a young person growing up in the city of Atlanta, money was hard to come by. My grandmother had just enough to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. There wasn't any room for extracurricular activities. Luckily for me, I attended an after-school program that was provided at my school. While most students attended on a sliding scale, the director of the program realized that this wasn't something that would be accessible to me."
Jackson continued, "We know that one of the biggest challenges for low-income families is having a safe place for their children to spend time outside of school. 82% of parents with a child in an after-school program agree that the program helps them keep their job or work more hours. Our programs are no-cost and operate with extended hours so families can feel assured their child is with a caring adult in a nurturing environment, where they'll experience programming that positively impacts social emotional health, creative expression, and family development."
Stacy Tracey with Denver County's Department of Human Services explained her critical role as a prevention caseworker. She began with an anecdote about a mother of four who called her in a time of desperation saying she couldn't go on in life. Tracey answered the call when seconds mattered. "It's not about just handing a family a resource book and sending them on their way. Prevention is about collaborating with families to provide the right support and services at the right time."
Attendees also heard from a Colorado parent who has benefitted from community support.
"I know how important it is to have a strong family unit for raising kids -- and all parents need extra support sometimes. I definitely did, having nine kids to care for," Spanish-speaker Lupita Cardoza said through a translator. "My family is thriving and stronger because of the support I received through community programs and resources at Sister Carmen Community Center."
The event is also the start of a month-long campaign by partners across the state and social media to promote #PreventionInPartnership and #BuildingTogether to raise awareness of the many ways Coloradans can help ensure all children have the opportunity to thrive.
CDHS says we all play a role in preventing child abuse and neglect. Some examples of how community partners and neighbors can lend support to families and relieve some of the overload experienced by parents and caregivers include:
- Offer to babysit to give parents a break
- Coordinate a meal sign-up calendar for new parents or a neighborhood family in need
- Organize a neighborhood gathering so families can meet each other
- Ask a family if they need something picked up the next time you run to the store
All Coloradans are encouraged to call the CO4Kids Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline (1-844-CO-4-Kids or 844-264-5437) if they are concerned a child may be experiencing abuse or neglect.
Thanks to concerned Coloradans who made calls to the hotline in 2022, local county human service agencies in Colorado assessed the safety of more than 50,678 children. Of those children, 10,918 children experienced abuse or neglect and an additional 17,024 children's families received voluntary support from social services.
For more ways to help strengthen families, visit https://co4kids.org/myrole. To learn more about child abuse and neglect prevention and activities happening around the state, visit CO4Kids.org.
