April is Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM), and the local CASA programs all across Texas have been working hard to spread awareness of child abuse and neglect and get more people involved in the CASA mission.
On Go Blue Day, April 5, the CASA network wore blue to show support for child abuse prevention. Here’s a slideshow showing a few members of the CASA community sporting their finest CASA blue!
In addition to Go Blue Day, the local programs went above and beyond to promote CAPM by holding a variety of awareness events. CASA of West Texas hosted Stand Up Midland, a family event used to bring the community together to let them know of the important role they play in preventing child abuse. CASA of Southeast Texas painted 211 crosses blue, with each cross symbolizing a child who died from abuse or neglect in Texas in 2018. CASA of Cameron and Willacy counties stood with the Cameron County District Attorney to raise awareness of CAPM and encourage more individuals to volunteer and advocate for children in foster care. CASA of the Sabine Neches Region held a vigil outside Orange County Courthouse, along with hosting five other vigils during April throughout the counties they serve.
Many programs also took the opportunity to increase the positive impact they have in the lives of children in foster care through heightened recruiting and fundraising efforts. CASA of the Coastal Bend went on their local TV news station, KRIS, to promote their 14th Annual CASA Superhero Run/Walk. CASA for the Cross Timbers Area had one of their volunteers featured in the local paper, Stephenville Empire-Tribune: a former FBI agent who now advocates for children and wants to promote male recruitment for the CASA cause! Lake Country CASA was featured in their local paper, Rains County Leader, as a local judge signed a proclamation dedicating April as CAPM. Voices for Children – CASA of Brazos Valley joined the Brazos County Commissioners Court as they declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. CASA of Grayson County promoted their program and appealed to their community for more volunteers to help local children on their local TV news station, KXII. CASA of West Texas asked the community for more volunteers on their local TV news station, News West 9, to help with the large influx of cases that occurred in March.
This is just a small sample of the amazing, widespread efforts of the CASA programs across the state. Texas CASA would like to thank every CASA volunteer, staff and board member who went out there and spread the CASA message! Sharing our mission with others brings the issue of child abuse and neglect to attention while also helping recruit volunteers to advocate on behalf of children in the foster care system.
But Child Abuse Prevention Month isn’t over yet – Blue Sunday, a national interfaith day of prayer for the victims of child abuse and those who help them, is happening on April 28. If you practice prayer, we encourage you to pray with your faith community on this day – and if not, we hope you’ll keep these vulnerable children in your thoughts, take a moment to honor them, and join us in raising awareness of child abuse and neglect.
Whatever your role in the CASA movement, thank you for your commitment to our mission and for taking a stand against child abuse and neglect, both this month and beyond!