CARE House of the Pee Dee and the City of Florence Recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and the CARE House of the Pee Dee and the City of Florence are determined to shine a light on the realities of child abuse throughout the month. City of Florence Mayor, Teresa Myers Ervin signed a proclamation recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The proclamation urges all citizens to honor this important month by “dedicating ourselves to the task of improving the quality of life for all children and families” – something that the CARE House strives to do each and every month of the year.

As an accredited Children’s Advocacy Center, the CARE House works in partnership with many different agencies – including law enforcement and the Department of Social Services – to investigate allegations of child abuse and provide supportive services such as evidence based counseling and advocacy to alleged victims and their families. Prevention and community education are also integral components to the work of the CARE House.

According to national data, nearly 700,000 children are abused each year and close to 2,000 lose their lives as a result. Even after abuse stops, these adverse childhood experiences can have lasting negative impacts on health, well-being and other opportunities – but child abuse is preventable.

“Our goal is to give our whole community every opportunity to learn more, raise awareness, join the fight and share their support for those impacted by child abuse and neglect right here in our neighborhoods. We want children and families who have been impacted by abuse to know that their community supports them and for those who may not be aware of these realities, this is an opportunity to develop a curiosity to learn more”, says Alice Curry Gallego, Outreach Coordinator of the CARE House.

The CARE House of the Pee Dee is scheduled to implement many educational and support-raising initiatives through the month within their four-county service area. Initiatives include a social media campaign to share prevention tips and education, fundraising campaigns at local banks and retailers and partnerships with local organizations and families to display more than 50 Pinwheel Gardens – the national symbol of child abuse prevention.

For more information about the CARE House of the Pee Dee or other Child Abuse Prevention Month activities, visit www.thecarehouse.com or contact Alice Curry Gallego by email at agallego@thecarehouse.com or by phone (843) 629-0236.