Talking Points About Child Abuse Prevention
Healthy child experiences are not just good for children, but good for their communities as well.
Stable, nurturing relationships influence a child’s developing brain and provide a foundation for all future development.
Healthy child development starts a chain of events that follow a child into adulthood.
Child development is a building block for community development and economic development.
We all play a role in raising children, whether we are neighbors, teachers, police officers, librarians, mentors, coaches or family members.
Unfortunately, children are sometimes exposed to intensive stress like child abuse and neglect.
Too much stress is bad for anyone and can be devastating to child development.
Adverse experiences like child abuse and neglect often have lifelong consequences for a child.
These consequences include a greater chance of delinquency, criminal involvement, drug addiction, chronic health problems, mental health issues and an overall drop-off in workforce productivity.
This is where prevention comes into play, however, and this is where New Jersey is focusing its efforts to remind everyone that we all have a responsibility to happy, healthy and safe childhoods and our “Pinwheels for Prevention” campaign carries the slogan: "Its Your Turn to Make A Difference."
The pinwheel represents New Jersey’s efforts to change the way we think about prevention, focusing on community activities and public policies that prioritize prevention right from the start.
The campaign is flourishing in New Jersey and all across the nation where nearly half a million pinwheels will be displayed in April.
We’re engaging partners across the state who will stand by us in the belief that child abuse and neglect can and must be prevented.
Programs and strategies like home visiting, parent education, mutual self-help support, mental health services for new mothers, expanding the availability of affordable daycare programming and substance abuse treatment all play a role in the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
To learn more please visit www.preventchildabusenj.org or call 1.800.children.
To assure that families of infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities enrolled in the NJ Early Intervention System (NJEIS) have access to the services and supports needed to ensure that each child grows to his or her fullest potentional.
