History of National Child Abuse Prevention Month

History of National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Increasing public awareness of the need to ensure the safety and welfare of children led to the passage of the first Federal child protection legislation, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), in 1974. While CAPTA has been amended many times over the years, most recently by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003, the purpose of the original legislation remains intact. Today, the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal agency charged with supporting States, Tribes, and communities in providing programs and services to protect children and strengthen families.

In the early 1980s, Congress made a further commitment to identifying and implementing solutions to child abuse. Recognizing the alarming rate at which children continued to be abused and neglected and the need for innovative programs to prevent child abuse and assist parents and families affected by maltreatment, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives resolved that the week of June 6-12, 1982, should be designated as the first National Child Abuse Prevention Week. They asked the President to issue a proclamation calling upon Government agencies and the public to observe the week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

The following year, April was proclaimed the first National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Since then, child abuse and neglect awareness activities have been promoted across the country during April of each year. The Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN) within the Children's Bureau coordinates Child Abuse Prevention Month, providing information and releasing updated national statistics about child abuse and neglect each April.

In 1989, the Blue Ribbon Campaign to Prevent Child Abuse had its early beginnings as a Virginia grandmother's tribute to her grandson who died as a result of abuse. She tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her car as a way to remember him and to alert her community to the tragedy of child abuse. The Blue Ribbon Campaign has since expanded across the country, and many wear blue ribbons each April in memory of those who have died as a result of child abuse. In other communities, special fundraisers are held to support prevention activities and treatment facilities for victims, and candlelight vigils are held as a remembrance. Most recently, the focus has shifted toward a more positive message of celebrating "blue ribbon" individuals, organizations, and communities who have done much to prevent child abuse and neglect.

In Title II of the CAPTA amendments of 1996, the Children's Bureau was charged with identifying a lead agency in each State for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) grants. These grants support the development, operation, and expansion of initiatives to prevent child abuse and neglect, as well as the coordination of resources and activities to strengthen and support families to reduce the likelihood of child maltreatment. CBCAP grantees within each State often take a leadership role in coordinating special events and preparing materials to support Child Abuse Prevention Month. Regardless of their role, CBCAP grantees are required to report annually on their Child Abuse Prevention Month activities.

In 2003, as part of the 20th anniversary of the original Presidential Proclamation designating April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, OCAN recast the National Child Abuse Prevention Initiative as a year-long effort. This initiative was launched at the 14th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, which was devoted to the theme of prevention. A national press conference there was the setting for the release of the publication Emerging Practices in the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

The expansion of the Child Abuse Prevention Initiative was consistent with priorities of the Administration for Children and Families and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. OCAN and Child Welfare Information Gateway (formerly, the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information) partnered with the broader child abuse prevention community to raise awareness of the issue through a variety of tools, resources, activities, and public awareness events. Many of these materials have been made available in print and on the web to related Federal agencies, organizations, and concerned citizens in communities nationwide.

In 2004, there was emerging consensus among national child abuse prevention organizations and related Federal agencies that building public will for child abuse prevention required engaging the public in efforts to strengthen and support families and enhance parenting skills. Building on this national momentum, OCAN shifted the focus of its child abuse prevention resources to incorporate a family strengthening message promoting parenting and community support. Today, the Child Abuse Prevention Initiative is an opportunity for communities across the country to keep children safe, provide the support families need to stay together, and raise children and youth to be happy, secure, and stable adults.

Provided courtesy of CASA, Montgomery County in support of articles

The Blue Ribbon Story

CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County, INC.

The Story of the Blue Ribbon

The Blue Ribbon Child Abuse Prevention Campaign had its early beginnings following the death of a very young child.  In 1989, a Virginia grandmother received the devastating news that her grandson had died of injuries inflicted by his parents.  In an expression of grief and outrage, this grandmother did something that has given us a symbol.  She tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her van as a way to remember "the bruised and battered body of her grandson" and to alert her community to the tragedy of child abuse.  Her simple idea, to wear or display a blue ribbon for child abuse prevention was picked up by grassroots organizations across the county.  In her own words:

 “NO! It isn’t true! It simply cannot be true! They are telling me that my grandson is dead ... they are wrong! There must be some mistake ... Michael is fine ... but deep in my heart, I knew it was true for I have not seen him in weeks. It’s been so long since I sat by his side in the hospital. Of course I knew something was wrong as I sat there. I saw fear on his face, the bruises on his body, and the healing cigarette burns on his hands. His doctor did not believe my daughter’s story ... "he fell in slippery water in the bathtub" ... I felt sick ... I didn’t understand ... Are my granddaughters all right, was all I thought. Where are they?

I only had one child. She was a beautiful little girl. She was the light of our eyes. We knew she had entered into a stormy marriage, for we brought her home several times in the five years the marriage lasted. We suspected heavy use of drugs ... BUT ... in those five years, three beautiful, healthy children had been born. I loved them dearly, and they loved me. The children were 16 months, 3 years and 4 years old.

After the ordeal at the hospital, my grandson was placed in foster care for three weeks. He cried when they came to take him back to his mother. He told his foster mother, "my momma doesn’t love me," and he begged to stay. I ached for his dilemma. I was not physically able to care for him. The courts seemed to believe that home was the best place for him ... but I knew better and I told ... no, begged them not to return him to his mother. But I was overruled. My instinct as a grandmother did not count.

I never saw Michael again. My 16 month old granddaughter was hospitalized after being beaten severely her leg was broken in four places, and her hand burned from the tip of her little fingers to her wrist. It was only then that the "search was on" for Michael. We learned that he had been killed, wrapped in a sheet, stuffed in a tool box and dumped in to a dismal swamp three months earlier.

My grandchildren had suffered and battled so much throughout their young lives that it sickened me. My life was turned into physical and mental chaos. My efforts to understand became a plea to stop abusing children. I tied a blue ribbon on my van antenna to make people wonder. It caught on locally with restaurants, businesses, the police department and radio and television stations. They all started supporting me in my efforts to make a real awareness campaign. Why the color blue? I never intend to forget the battered, bruised bodies of my grandchildren. Bruises are black, then eventually blue. Therefore, blue serves as a constant reminder to me to fight for our children. Join with me. We must protect our most precious gift of all ... our children. Please wear a blue ribbon. Put one on your car. Give one to your friends. Tell them what it means. You may be saving a child’s life! If you suspect anything is happening to your children ... your grandchildren ... the child next door ... PLEASE ACT!”

Bonnie Finney, Norfolk, VA.

May 8 Election Polls

Pct	Map and directions	Polling Location	Physical Address	City and Zip	Location in Building
32	Click for web page	Wilkerson Intermediate School	Sawmill Road	The Woodlands 77380	Library
33	Click for web page	South County Community Building	2235 Lake Robbins Drive	The Woodlands 77380	Room 102
67	Click for web page	Lamar Elementary School	1300 Many Pines Road	The Woodlands 77380	Teachers' Lounge
4	Click for web page	Copperwood Apartment Building	4407 South Panther Creek Drive	The Woodlands 77381	Community Room
48	Click for web page	Sally K Ride Elementary School	4920 West Panther Creek Drive	The Woodlands 77381	Front Foyer
49	Click for web page	David Elementary School	5301 Shadowbend Place	The Woodlands 77381	Front & Side Hallways
58	Click for web page	The Crossing Church	6265 Shadowbend Place	The Woodlands 77381	Church Sanctuary
59	Click for web page	Powell Elementary School	7332 Cochran’s Crossing Drive	The Woodlands 77381	Main Hallway
61	Click for web page	Community Christian Church	10801 Falconwing Dr	The Woodlands 77381	Worship Center
62	Click for web page	Collins Intermediate School	6020 Shadowbend Place	The Woodlands 77381	Front Hall
70	Click for web page	Bear Branch Recreation Center	5310 Research Forest Drive	The Woodlands 77381	Large Activity Room
78	Click for web page	Galatas Elementary School	9001 Cochran’s Crossing Drive	The Woodlands 77381	Front Foyer
79	Click for web page	Glen Loch Elementary School	27505 Glen Loch Drive	The Woodlands 77381	Cafeteria
3	Click for web page	The Woodlands High School 9th Grade Campus	10010 Branch Crossing Drive	The Woodlands 77382	Foyer by Clinic
69	Click for web page	Barbara Bush Elementary School	7420 Crownridge Drive	The Woodlands 77382	Front Foyer
71	Click for web page	Buckalew Elementary School	4909 West Alden Bridge	The Woodlands 77382	Front Lobby Area
81	Click for web page	Mitchell Intermediate School	6800 Alden Bridge	The Woodlands 77382	Attendance Hallway
75	Click for web page	Windsor Hills Homeowner's Association Club House	One Windsor Hills Circle	The Woodlands 77384	Ballroom
56	Click for web page	Conroe Fire Station #4	250 Harpers Landing Boulevard	The Woodlands 77385	Police Sub Station