Give a voice to the kids

As with any month, there are a number of celebrations happening in April. Among them is Child Abuse Prevention Month. The local Department of Family Services office and Public Health, are providing opportunities to help the children in our community.

On Thursday, April 12 at 6 p.m. there is a free Love and Logic parenting class, and on Monday, April 16 from 5-7 p.m. there will be a Community Café at Hot Springs County Library to discuss the resources and services that are available to children or families.

Whether you plan to attend these events or not — both are free, by the way — there are plenty of other ways to take action to prevent child abuse. Keep in mind the adage “It takes a village to raise a child.”

It can be something as simple as reaching out to children you see with a nice word or a smile. These small gestures can change a child’s day for the better. Also, take the time to recognize signs of abuse and neglect and report them if needed. Your personal information will remain confidential.

Going beyond just what we can do for kids, being active in local organizations, hospitals and other places where there is family support can help as well.

Organizing neighborhood watches can help keep children safe as well, but even if you don’t have the time for such undertakings, lending a helping hand to a neighbor by offering to babysit or run errands can greatly reduce a parent or guardian’s stress level and lower the chance a child could be abused.

For those that have the time and room available, there is also opportunity to be a foster parent for abused or neglected children. While the ultimate goal is to reunite children with their parents, the reality is that sometimes that’s just not possible and they need somewhere to feel safe and loved.

Abuse and neglect is something no child should have to experience, and with efforts from our community we can work toward making sure it never happens.