As the statewide organization working to prevent child abuse and neglect, Children’s Trust gets the frequent question – how do you prevent child abuse and neglect? With more than 14,000 children in founded cases of child maltreatment in 2023, it can seem like an insurmountable task.
The answer is simple: we work to ensure families have the tools, knowledge and resources to help kids thrive. We want kids to have childhoods filled with hope, happiness, good health and play. The pinwheel represents this: the happy, healthy childhood every child deserves.
We also know families live in neighborhoods and communities that are served by community organizations and supported by civic institutions and governments. Friends, neighbors, schools, local municipalities, and more interact and serve families daily.
It takes all of us working together to build the relationships, communities and systems that help families help their children. Prevention happens in partnership, and we are proud to work to support more than fifty organizations across South Carolina that are delivering proven prevention programs. We have even more partners standing with us for Child Abuse Prevention Month.
We encourage everyone to be a kind and helpful neighbor. Fix dinner for a family or offer an encouraging word. Support those community-based organizations that are supporting families and children. Let your elected officials know that family-friendly policies are a priority for you.
Child Abuse Prevention Month is our opportunity to grow support for what we know must happen year-round: supporting parents and building communities so families can readily access what they need to help their children develop healthy and strong.
We call that being a champion for children. To learn more, visit scChildren.org.
Bio:
Bett Williams is the chief communications officer of Children’s Trust of South Carolina, the statewide organization preventing child abuse and neglect in South Carolina. Children’s Trust leads Child Abuse Prevention Month in partnership with more than 180 organizations. Learn more at scChildren.org or scParents.org.