June is Child Safety Awareness Month

Children are our most precious resource.

And as "stakeholders" in their future, it's crucial that we protect their innocence, their safety, and their formative years.

Dangers are ever-present.
Accordingly, June is designated as "Child Safety Awareness Month."
This awareness "focus" is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human services to raise the consciousness level of parents, caretakers, and the general public, on how to foster a safe, healthy environment for today's children.

Depending upon a child's age, location, parental supervision, and environmental factors, there are many challenges and potential dangers they might be exposed to today.

Here are a few to consider:

• Internet Predators
• Cyber-bullying
• Ingestion of harmful chemicals
• Slips and dangerous falls
• Mental abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Car accidents
• Abductions
• Domestic violence

Staying informed and educated is the best "weapon" for their protection.

With this in mind, here are some timely strategies and practices to protect today's kids.

• If you're a parent or educator, keep the lines of communication open. Encourage them to share their fears and concerns in a healthy, age-appropriate way.
• Keep chemicals under lock and away from toddlers and curious little ones.
• Place monitoring devices and "blocks" on certain websites that might compromise your child's innocence.
• If possible, place computers in a "general" visible area in the home, where everyone has equal access.
• Never allow children to spend time at any one's home that you are not familiar with.
• If you're a single parent, be careful and mindful of who you bring home, and potentially expose your kids to. There are many software programs and websites that will allow you to conduct a background check on your "new friend." Better safe than sorry.
• Recognize that harsh words that belittle and demean can cause emotional scars, and contribute to mental abuse.   
• Domestic violence is a dangerous cycle. According to Turning Point Services.Org, 90% of children from violent homes, witnessed fathers who were abusive to their moms.
• They also report that abused children are arrested 4x more often than their non-abused peers. 

Let's all do our part to protect future generations, and break the cycle of abuse and neglect- by opening our ears, eyes, minds, and hearts and becoming more actively involved.

For more information and resources, visit WWW.CDV.ORG



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