April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Special to the Journal

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is stepping up prevention efforts through its Help for Parents, Hope for Kids campaign as well as participating in a broad range of community events during the month of April.
Locally, a balloon release event is planned for April 7 at 11:45 a.m. at the Cass County Criminal Justice Center in Linden. The event is open to the public. 
More about this and other prevention events can be found on the “Events” page online at HelpAndHope.org.
Child abuse is a big problem in Texas and across the nation. Child Protective Services (CPS) completed 166,753 investigations that confirmed 58,664 children were victims of abuse or neglect in Texas last year. More than two hundred children in Texas died due to abuse or neglect last year.
“We all have a responsibility to protect children,” said DFPS Commissioner Henry “Hank” Whitman, Jr. “That includes parents, grandparents, teachers, doctors, police officers, neighbors, CPS, and many others in communities all across Texas. Reporting and responding to abuse is important, and so is helping parents deal with the many stresses they face.”
DFPS’ Prevention and Early Intervention program is spending more than a million dollars on Help for Parents, Hope for Kids this year. That includes television ads in all Texas media markets throughout April as well as an online/mobile campaign that runs to the end of August. The campaign website, HelpAndHope.org, offers parents a number of videos, articles by experts, and other tips designed to help parents deal with some of the most challenging aspects of parenting. The site also connects parents and teens to state and local services in their communities. The campaign’s Facebook page -- HelpAndHopeKids -- shares fun and helpful ideas and resources for families.
Meanwhile, CPS is joining with local governments, community groups, service organizations, activists, and other partners to put the spotlight on preventing, recognizing, and reporting child abuse. 

Report Abuse or Neglect
If you suspect child abuse or neglect, contact the Texas Abuse Hotline at 800-252-5400 or report online at www.txabusehotline.org.