Spring Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Spring is finally here! And with it the promise of warmer weather and brighter skies. Spring also means April, Child Abuse Prevention Month. For many of us, April is a time to renew our commitment to serving families, supporting programs, and protecting children. The theme of Child Abuse Prevention Month 2023 is “Building Together: Prevention in Partnership.” I personally love this theme. To me, “building together” means building strong communities, building strong families, and raising strong, happy, and healthy children. None of us can do these things alone. We must do them in partnership. Every parent needs a support system to give them stability when times get tough and to celebrate with when times are good. And every child needs a caring adult in their corner looking out for them.

I am truly grateful for the partnerships we have throughout the state supporting child abuse prevention efforts. PCA Illinois is proud to release our 2022 Annual Report showcasing some of these partnerships and ongoing efforts to support families and protect children.

So this April, when you are out enjoying the warmer weather and sunny skies, watch for blue ribbons and pinwheels and other signs that your community is working in partnership to make our world a better place for all children and families.

Sincerely,

Denise McCaffrey

Executive Director

Prevent Child Abuse Illinois

PCA Illinois staff is hard at work putting the finishing touches on our Child Abuse Prevention Month kickoffs, events, and trainings! Whether you're planting pinwheels or participating in Wear Blue Day, thanks for getting involved.

Check out our Statewide Calendar to see our upcoming events, as well as events hosted by other organizations across the state!

We are excited to take a closer look at one of the most active Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Coalitions in the state! The Southern 7 CAP Coalition is dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect in Johnson, Union, Massac, Pulaski, Alexander, Pope, and Hardin counties in Illinois. The coalition brings together a variety of individuals and organizations, including child welfare agencies, law enforcement, schools, and healthcare providers, to promote awareness of child abuse and provide resources for prevention.

During CAP Month, the Southern 7 CAP Coalition spearheads a number of activities by breaking off into separate planning committees for each county. These events include educational events, proclamation readings, fundraisers for local child advocacy centers, fun family events like Pajama Movie Night, and support for public awareness initiatives like our #GoBlueIllinois campaign. By working to prevent child abuse and neglect, the coalition aims to create a safer and healthier community for all children in Southern Illinois.

To get involved in a CAP coalition in your area,

contact Rachel or check out our website!

The fourth Wednesday in April every year is designated as Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Awareness Day by the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children. The DEC movement challenges all of us to recognize substance misuse risks for children and families, and to work together using the DEC Approach to help break the generational cycles of substance misuse. Click here to download a list of ways to get involved in DEC Awareness Day this April 26!

We're excited to announce a brand-new project—our PCA Illinois podcast, The Power to Prevent! Through this podcast, we hope to break down child abuse and neglect topics so they're easier to understand, offer tangible tips on how to get involved in child abuse prevention efforts, and much more. Our first episodes will drop in April, with more episodes to follow monthly. Follow us on Spotify to be notified when our first episode is ready to stream. We'll post more information and updates to our Facebook page, so be sure to follow us there. We hope you'll join us and share our episodes with a friend as we start this new initiative!

It's always a good time to get involved in advocacy efforts, but April presents some unique opportunities!

If you want to learn more and get involved, Start Early is hosting a virtual advocacy training on April 5. Click here to register!

PCA Illinois is attending Start Early's Early Childhood Advocacy Day on April 18 in Springfield to express the importance of early childhood programs to lawmakers in Illinois. Although registration is closed, you can still get involved virtually by sending letters to Illinois legislators.

Prevent Child Abuse America is hosting Digital Advocacy Day on Wednesday, April 19. Click here to learn more and take action!

Let's use our collective voice to ensure children and families are the top priority in Illinois!