(Watertown, New York)—Healthy Families Jefferson County, a Healthy Families New York program hosted by the North Country Prenatal/Perinatal Council, along with Healthy Families America, a program of Prevent Child Abuse America, recognizes the importance of community-based support for all children and families during National Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month in April. The theme of this year’s awareness and impact campaign is “Growing a Better Tomorrow for All Children, Together.”
April 2022 marks the third year CAP Month occurs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The risk to our nation’s children for experiencing child abuse and neglect in times of extreme stress and uncertainty remains high. COVID-19 adds stress that can overload parents and caregivers, such as loss of employment, loss of income due to lack of paid leave, the necessity of new childcare and schooling arrangements, and food insecurity.
Now more than ever, we need to band together in collective ways that help our families and children thrive. Too often, our society thinks of raising healthy children as a parent or caregiver’s responsibility alone,” said Joe Paté, program director for Healthy Families Jefferson County. “In reality, we all benefit when groups of people work together to collectively care for children.”
“Research shows that positive childhood experiences grow thriving families and communities,” explained Dr. Melissa Merrick, president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America. “This is the moment to build a child and family well-being system that propels families to grow and thrive together. Please consider joining us to ensure safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments are cultivated to enable children, families, and entire communities to succeed – today and for generations to come.”
We all share a responsibility for the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children and their families. Healthy Families Jefferson County and the North Country Prenatal/Perinatal Council encourage everyone in our community to do what they can this April and beyond to help ensure great childhoods.
During the month of April, Healthy Families Jefferson County will distribute over 300 seeds kits to encourage quality family time. Each kit includes seeds, soil, biodegradable pots, and pinwheels. Program and agency staff also participated in National Wear Blue Day on Friday, April 1, to show our collective support for children and families.
To learn how Healthy Families impacts children in our community, please visit https://ncppc.org/our-programs/hfjc/, https://healthyfamiliesnewyork.org/, and https://www.healthyfamiliesamerica.org/.
For more information and ideas, please visit: please visit https://preventchildabuse.org/growing-better-together-2022/ and https://www.preventchildabuseny.org/