Child Advocates of Fort Bend (CAFB) is asking the community to wear blue and tune into their Facebook page at 11am on Friday, April 3rd to kick off April Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“Now more than ever, we need to bring awareness to the problem of child abuse and spread the word about how to report it, stated CAFB CEO Ruthanne Mefford. “With schools closed, children and caregivers in close physical contact for extended periods of time, and the stress of Coronavirus, we expect to see more incidents of domestic abuse. At the same time, we anticipate we will see lower report of child abuse because children are not in school and teachers are not able to put “eyes” on the children. It is critical for neighbors, family members and the community to keep children safe and contact authorities if they think a child is in danger and being abused.”
Virus or no virus, Child Advocates of Fort Bend’s staff continues to provide services to children and families. CASA Advocates are contacting children through digital and virtual means. Forensic interviews are being conducted on site with limited staff coming into the Center and scheduling only one interview at a time to practice social distancing. State intakes of child abuse are being reviewed by staff remotely and they are coordinating the joint response with law enforcement, CPS and the CAC to ensure that cases do not fall through the cracks. Therapists have been speaking to clients individually and training online so that they can begin conducting therapy sessions remotely.
“We expect to see a decrease in reports of child abuse during this time of physical distancing but, much like Hurricane Harvey, we anticipate that we will see a dramatic increase once children return to school,” stated Mefford. “Fortunately for the children of Fort Bend County, we are better equipped to handle the spike in cases now than we were several years ago since we recently opened our renovated and expanded Davis George Campus.”
Although child abuse knows no season, April is designated as National Child Abuse Awareness Month. Child Advocates of Fort Bend is your “go to” resource for safe, family-friendly Child Abuse Prevention Month Activities while social distancing. They will be providing family activities and virtual events for you and your family to help bring awareness. Tune into the agency’s Facebook page on Fridays for “Friday Fun Day” activities including a pinwheel garden, virtual coloring contest and Blue Ribbon awareness events that you can host in your neighborhoods (without the crowds). On Tuesdays at 2, staff will share online tips and support for families going through these uncertain times and will be on Facebook Live to chat and answer your questions. Show your support by wearing blue, creating pinwheels and participating in other awareness activities and TAGGING the agency on Facebook and Instagram. Simply post a photo and tag them @cafortbend or @Child Advocates of Fort Bend.
About Child Advocates of Fort Bend:
Child Advocates of Fort Bend is a non-profit agency dedicated to ending child abuse by providing a voice, healing the hurt, and breaking the cycle of child abuse in Fort Bend County. Through its Court Appointed Special Advocates Program (CASATM), Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) and more than 200 trained community volunteer advocates, Child Advocates of Fort Bend improves the lives of more than 400 children each month and has served more than 17,0000 children since opening its doors in 1991. For more information on Child Advocates of Fort Bend go to www.cafb.org.
