April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
We all have a role to play in ending child abuse.
Denver, CO –– By the time you finish reading this article, more than 30 cases of child abuse will have been reported to authorities nationwide. By the end of today, that number will swell past 9,000. And four-eight of those children will die at the hands of their abuser. All in a single day.
In Colorado, in 2018, 13,289 children experienced abuse or neglect. In Denver, 937 children were living in foster care.
When we hear these horrific statistics it’s easy to be overwhelmed. However, child abuse is preventable, and we all have a role to play in ending this tragedy. About 30% of abused and neglected children will go on to later abuse their own children, but we can break this cycle. One of the best indicators of a child’s future success, regardless of their situation, is having one caring adult who is in their corner. At Childs Advocates – Denver CASA volunteers work with children in Denver County with open abuse and neglect cases to advocate on their behalf to ensure their best interests are always being represented and their voices are being heard.
Becoming a CASA Volunteer is an amazing way to change a child’s story, but there are also things we can do in our daily lives that will help victims of abuse and neglect.
Here are some steps you can take to make our community safer for our children:
• Keep our state’s toll-free child abuse hotline number close at hand, 1-844-CO-4-KIDS. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, you can report your suspicions confidentially.
• Educate yourself – and others – about the devastating toll that abuse and neglect take on children and our society as a whole.
• Become a CASA Volunteer or donate to Child Advocates-Denver CASA.
• Know that we all have a responsibility to end Child Abuse. We all must recognize the signs of child abuse and report suspected abuse and neglect.
We are lucky to have some amazing partners who are helping to end child abuse. The Shops at Northfield have put together Eats & Treats Packages where the proceeds benefit Child Advocates – Denver CASA.
Your advocacy for children will not only help end child abuse, it will improve our community for everyone who lives here. Children who have at least one caring adult in their lives are more likely to find a sage and permanent home, they are more likely to succeed in school and they are half as likely to re-enter the foster care system. We all have the power to make our communities stronger and change the lives of children.
ABOUT CHILD ADVOCATES-DENVER CASA
The mission of Child Advocates – Denver CASA is to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in Denver Juvenile Court through the services of specially selected and trained community volunteers from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. CASA is central to fulfilling society’s most fundamental obligation by making sure a qualified, compassionate adult will fight for and protect a child’s right to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect and to learn and grow in the safe embrace of a loving family. For more information, visit www.DenverCASA.org
ABOUT THE SHOPS AT NORTHFIELD
Northfield is a 1.1 million square-foot, open air lifestyle and entertainment center located in Denver, Colorado at interstate 70 and Central Park Blvd. The center is anchored by Macy’s, Harkins Theatres Northfield 18, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, JCPenney, SuperTarget and more than 80 premier shops and restaurants. For more information, visit shopsatNorthfield.com. The Shops at Northfield is managed by Forest City Commercial Management.
For additional information contact:
Meaghan Peters
Development and Marketing Director
Office # 303.832.4592
mpeters@denvercasa.org
