April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, Lyon County Human Services encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making our communities a better place for children and families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help promote children’s social and emotional well-being and prevent child maltreatment within families and communities.
Research shows that when parents possess six protective factors, the risk for neglect and abuse diminish and optimal outcomes for children, youth, and families are promoted. The six protective factors are:
- Nurturing and attachment
- Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development
- Parental resilience
- Social connections
- Concrete supports for parents
- Social and emotional developmental well-being
April is a time to celebrate the important role that communities play in protecting children. Everyone’s participation is critical. Focusing on ways to build and promote the protective factors, in every interaction with children and families, is the best thing our community can do to prevent child maltreatment and promote optimal child development.
The pinwheel is an uplifting reminder of childhood and the bright futures all children deserve. Help us strengthen families and communities by celebrating. Lyon County Human Services will be planting pinwheel gardens in front all LCHS office locations, Pinwheel coloring sheets are available in all LCHS office locations for children to help decorate the lobbies, and look for additional pinwheel displays in other organizations in Lyon County communities. In addition to the pinwheel, the color blue has been selected to represent this important campaign; Lyon County Human Services staff will be wearing blue on April 7 for National GO BLUE! Day, #GoBlueNV.
For more information about child abuse prevention programs and activities during the month of April, and throughout the year, contact Shayla Holmes, Program Supervisor, at 775-577-5009 ext.3305, or by email at [email protected]. Also check out www.facebook.com/lyoncountyhumanservices.
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