PARTNERS-PREVENTION-HOPE
Community Event Raises Awareness of Programs that Keep Children Safe and Healthy
HIGH POINT, NC—Service providers, community volunteers, public officials and concerned community members gathered today to celebrate the positive impact of programs that prevent child abuse and neglect at The Partners-Prevention-Hope Event, held at the Slane Center of Family Service of the Piedmont.
Too often what make the headlines are the tragic stories of child abuse, while the positive impact of prevention programs goes unnoticed.
The event, which kicks off the Guilford County Blue Ribbon for Kids Campaign, highlighted programs from more than a dozen nonprofit agencies, governmental departments and community groups that strengthen parents, empower children and educate the community. Research shows that when families are strengthened, child abuse and neglect incidences are reduced.
During the presentation, parent Shanta Pitts explained how her participation in Project Embrace, sponsored by the Junior League of High Point, has allowed her a needed “night off” from parental duties, while sharing experiences with other parents and learning from community speakers. The Junior League provides dinner, childcare and presentations from local experts on managing finances, buying a house and other relevant topics.
Local student Alex White and leaders demonstrated a “snapshot” of “The Hero Within,” a school-based program developed by Family Service of the Piedmont that seeks to prevent bullying by helping children identify their natural talents, learn to protect those talents and practice ways to stop bullying behavior. The group role-played a bullying situation and then sang the “Hero Within” song.
Katherine Cross of High Point Childwatch related a success story of the agency’s C.A.R.E. program that works with children in schools to recognize abuse.
Prevention programs are cost effective, studies indicate. The now-famous longitudinal Perry Study in Ypsilanti, Michigan shows that for every dollar spent on meeting the needs of children, $7.16 is saved in crime, welfare, and medical costs to the community at large.
Blue Ribbon Campaign co-captain Patti Gilbert of Family Service of the Piedmont used an example of one local child, “Chris,” who had more than 100 encounters with the criminal justice system from age 4 to 17. Early in his childhood he was the victim of abuse and subsequently became a suspect and arrestee in several crimes. By age 17, he was identified as one of the top 10 offenders in Winston-Salem. Gilbert posed to the audience the question of how Chris’s life might have been different with effective prevention and early intervention programs for him and his family.
Last year, a national report prepared by “Fight Crime: Invest in Kids,” a nonprofit organization of law enforcement officials, estimated that one year of child abuse and neglect turns at least 36,000 of its victims into violent criminals and 250 into murders.
“Whenever there is child abuse or neglect, everyone pays the price—either financially or socially,” said Gilbert. “The flip side of this is that prevention efforts reap great rewards. Children are safer and healthier because of the multitude of prevention efforts that occur every day of the year in Guilford County.”
About the Blue Ribbon Campaign:
For several years, different nonprofit, volunteer and governmental agencies have collaborated to raise awareness and advocate prevention of child abuse and neglect in Guilford County during the month of April, which is designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Blue Ribbon partners that participated in the Partners-Prevention-Hope event are Family Service of the Piedmont, Guilford County Department of Public Health, Guilford County Child Fatality Team, Guilford County Child Protection Team, High Point Childwatch, Guilford County Council of PTAs, Guilford County Department of Social Services, Guilford County Partnership for Children, Guilford Native American Association, Medical Alliance Foundation, Multi-Print, Junior Leagues of High Point and Greensboro, YWCAs and YMCAs of High Point, Greensboro and Jamestown. 
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