Help Strengthen Families and Prevent Child Abuse

Cleveland, OH – April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.  This month and throughout the year, SAFY of OH encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making our communities a better place for youth and families.  By ensuring parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources to care for their children, we can help promote all children's social and emotional well-being and prevent child maltreatment within families and communities.

The storms of life can threaten the stability of any family’s foundation. Protective factors are the strengths and resources families draw on during difficult times to shield them from life’s stresses.  Research shows that when parents possess protective factors, the risk for neglect and abuse diminishes, and optimal outcomes for children and families are promoted.  Major protective factors include appropriate parenting and child development knowledge, parental resilience, social connections, and concrete supports.

At Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth (SAFY®), we work with youth and families to reach their full potential, building the foundation of well-being we all need to contribute to our communities.  Driven by our mission of Preserving Families and Securing Futures, SAFY has designed a service blueprint based on research addressing the roots of trauma while effecting lasting change.  Through a network of 30 locations nationwide, our model of care includes family preservation and reunification services, mental health support, and, when needed, therapeutic foster care.  This solid structure offers the tools to develop and maintain stable mental, physical, and emotional foundations to weather the storms where they are – home, school, work, or community.

SAFY CEO William Matt shares, "Uncertainty, rampant Inflation, job insecurity, disparities, and the mental health crisis are contributing to anxiety, depression, and life’s stressors at unprecedented levels.  For the good of blameless children and youth, let’s come together to prevent/avoid any child abuse or neglect.”

In support of these efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, together with Child Welfare Information Gateway, and the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention, developed the 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide.  The guide provides more information about protective factors and highlights examples of innovative prevention approaches being implemented by communities across the country.