If you are driving around Fort Bend County, you might notice a lot of blue in the landscape these days.
Child Advocates of Fort Bend (CAFB) is partnering with others to blanket the county in blue this April for Child Abuse Prevention Month. On Friday, April 5 Child Advocates of Fort Bend (CAFB) teamed with the City of Sugar Land to kick off April National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month with a fun, family friendly evening at Sugar Land Town Square. CAFB and its partners had booths with prevention information as well as games and giveaways, along with a concert by 1980s cover band The Mojo Faction. Elected Officials across Fort Bend County came together to kick off the evening with a Declaration of Unity proclaiming their support of children who have been abused. Together, they stood on the steps of Sugar Land Town Square Plaza, all in the same blue Light of Hope t-shirts, all shoulder to shoulder and each official holding the picture of a child. Each official stepped forward and proclaimed to the crowd of over 250 people that “I am the Light of Hope for Children Who Have Been Abused”. Then, in unison, the assembled group of 11 officials declared: WE ARE UNIFIED in our Commitment to the Wellbeing of Children in our Community. WE are the Light of Hope for Children Who Have Been Abused. The square was awash in blue lights and guests at the event wore lighted blue bracelets.
CAFB is also partnering with local Exchange Clubs to help blanket the county in blue to bring awareness. Exchange Club of Sugar Land is tying blue ribbons around trees in Sugar Land. On Monday, April 1 Child Advocates of Fort Bend teamed with Exchange Club of Fort Bend,
The Fort Bend District Attorney’s Office and Fort Bend County Judge KP George for the dedication of an awareness field in front of the historic Fort Bend County Courthouse. Judge George read a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month.
A second awareness field was dedicated that same evening at the Stafford Triangle at Present Street and Highway 90A. The fields have 2,192 stakes with blue ribbons on them, which one for every child abused in Fort Bend County and served by Child Advocates of Fort Bend last year.
CAFB has also teamed with the Smart Financial Center in its awareness efforts this year. Smart Financial has generously promoted Light of Hope on its display board and has added a declaration of April Child Abuse Prevention Month into the rotation on the display. In addition, Smart Financial will be lit blue for the month of April (unless a performer requests a different color of light).
Although child abuse knows no season, April is designated as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. There are many ways to participate in Child Abuse Prevention Month including wearing a blue ribbon, helping to pass out blue ribbons, posting child abuse prevention month materials in your place of business, attending a training about how you can be a safe adult for children and inviting Child Advocates of Fort Bend to talk to your group about child abuse. For more information about April Child Abuse Prevention Month activities go to www.cafb.org or call 281-341-9955. To request a speaker go to https://www.cafb.org/programs/community-education/speaker-requests/ or contact Casey at CDavis@cafb.org.
About Child Advocates of Fort Bend:
Child Advocates of Fort Bend is a non-profit agency dedicated to ending child abuse by Strengthening the Voice of the Child, Healing the Hurt, and Breaking the Cycle of abuse and neglect for children and their families in Fort Bend and surrounding counties. Through its Court Appointed Special Advocates Program (CASATM), Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) and more than 200 trained community volunteer advocates, Child Advocates improves the lives of more than 400 children each month and has served more than 23,000 children since opening its doors in 1991.
The agency’s Once Upon a Time Gala which supports its programs for children is set for April 27, 2024. Sponsorships of $2,000 – $15,000 are available. Individual reservations are $175. For more information about the Gala or to sponsor contact Tarina Sheridan at 281-344-5109 or tsheridan@cafb.org.
For more information on how you can get involved with Child Advocates of Fort Bend, contact Volunteer Services at 281-344-5123 or jbrown@cafb.org or log onto www.cafb.org.
Photo courtesy of Favre, Furman and Kij
