{"id":2134,"date":"2022-04-05T19:59:02","date_gmt":"2022-04-06T01:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/co4kids.org\/?p=2134"},"modified":"2025-01-23T11:21:09","modified_gmt":"2025-01-23T18:21:09","slug":"cdhs-illuminate-colorado-launch-child-abuse-prevention-month-at-capitol-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/co4kids.org\/es\/community-blog\/cdhs-illuminate-colorado-launch-child-abuse-prevention-month-at-capitol-event\/","title":{"rendered":"CDHS, Illuminate Colorado Launch Child Abuse Prevention Month at Capitol Event"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Community Blog<\/a><\/div>\n\n

CDHS, Illuminate Colorado Launch Child Abuse Prevention Month at Capitol Event<\/h1><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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DENVER (April 1, 2022) \u2014 The Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) at the Colorado Department of Human Services and Illuminate Colorado joined Colorado parents, state legislators, community partners and child advocates to launch Child Abuse Prevention Month at an event at the State Capitol today. The occasion reinforced the importance of organizations, individuals and communities working together to strengthen families, which is one of the most effective ways to prevent child abuse and neglect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the livestream.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the recap from Illuminate.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event featured Dave Ehlert and Alexa Chenoweth, parents and caregivers who shared their stories about how programs and organizations in their communities have strengthened their families, as well as Illuminate Colorado board member Beverly Besha Moore. Event attendees joined thousands of people around the country in wearing blue to show support for promoting positive childhood experiences and officially launched a month-long campaign – #GrowingBetterTogether – to inspire Coloradans to grow a better tomorrow for all children by supporting and strengthening families. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen amazing collaboration happen with partners across the state throughout this pandemic to take care of families in their communities and ensure they have what they need to be successful and help their kids grow up healthy, strong and ready for school,\u201d said Minna Castillo Cohen, director of OCYF. \u201cWe know that when families are connected and have access to concrete support in their community child maltreatment can be prevented. It truly takes all of us to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign provided pinwheels at the event. Thousands of free pinwheels will be given out throughout the month to raise awareness of the importance of positive childhood experiences. \u201cWhen parents, caregivers, family, friends, neighbors, employers and elected leaders work together to increase five critical protective factors in families\u2019 lives, that is when we can prevent child abuse, strengthen families and build brighter childhoods,\u201d said Besha Moore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, calls to the hotline began to bounce back from a low in 2020, which was driven in part by many mandatory reporters not seeing kids in person at schools, childcare settings or doctor appointments. As Coloradans began to return to pre-pandemic levels of activities in 2021, calls to the hotline increased overall by 8%. Local county human service agencies assessed the safety of more than 34,890 children. Of those children, 7,512 children experienced abuse or neglect and an additional 4,508 children\u2019s families received voluntary support from social services to help strengthen their families and prevent child abuse or neglect in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all play a role in strengthening families and preventing child abuse and neglect. Some examples of how community partners and neighbors can lend support to families include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n