Proclamation in Recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month

Child Abuse Prevention Month

WHEREAS, child abuse and neglect are preventable when parents, families, communities and governments work together to advocate for safe environments for all children; and

WHEREAS, more than 4,000 reports of child abuse and neglect were received in 2013 by the State of Hawai’i Department of Human Services, which provides oversight and protective services for at-risk children in the State of Hawai’i; and

WHEREAS, there is overwhelming evidence that child maltreatment can lead to a broad range of short and long-term physical and emotional health problems; and

WHEREAS, the long-term effects of child abuse and neglect are felt by our entire community and need to be addressed by the entire community; and

 WHEREAS, effective child abuse and neglect prevention public awareness and education efforts, such as the Pinwheels for Prevention, the Teddy Bear Roundup and Family Story Times succeed because of the partnerships created among human service agencies, the military, public health, the District Attorney’s Office, schools, faith and civic organizations, the medical community, law enforcement and first responder agencies, the business community and concerned citizens; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawai’i recognizes and thanks all community partners for their contributions in preventing abuse and neglect before it happens by developing family-oriented, community-based prevention, awareness, education and training programs;

THEREFORE I, DAVID Y. IGE, Governor, and I, SHAN S. TSUTSUI, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawai’i, do hereby proclaim April, 2015 as

 “CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH”

in Hawai’i, and ask all citizens of the Aloha State to join us in supporting the continued collaborative efforts toward effective child abuse and neglect prevention.

 DONE at the State Capitol, in the Executive Chambers, Honolulu, State of Hawai’i, on this thirtieth day of March 2015.


       DAVID Y’ IEG                              SHAN S. TSUTSUI
Governor, State of Hawai’i            Lt. Governor, State of Hawai’i

Hawaii's Pinwheels for Prevention Planting

Child abuse and neglect is considered to be a major problem of our modern society. Pinwheels for Prevention is a national campaign that aims to transform awareness on this issue into action and promote ways to prevent the neglect and abuse of our nation's children.

All citizens who are concerned about this social issue have the opportunity to support the organization’s efforts to prevent child abuse by planting a pinwheel. The campaign advocate for our children to have a chance at happiness and to support healthy lives in which all our children deserve.

Prevent Child Abuse America is a non-profit organization that focuses its activities on preventing child neglect and abuse in America. The organization was founded in Chicago, in the year 1972. Since then they work to promote the healthy development of American children.

Pinwheels for Prevention has begun as a grassroots campaign among Prevent Child Abuse America’s chapters in Ohio, Florida, and Georgia. Their desire to create a national symbol against child neglect and abuse and their initial success led the organization to extend their campaigns on a national scale, in the year 2008. 

Today, the non-profit organization promotes their vision for a society free of child abuse through all its network of chapters in all 50 American states. This coming month, in April, Prevent Child Abuse America has declared a child abuse prevention month and we would love to see you come and help us support the prevention of child abuse.

The Pinwheels for Prevention Planting will be held on the Hawaii State Capital lawn sponsored by Prevent Child Abuse America Hawaii chapter, The Department of Health and Child Abuse Prevention Planning (CAPP) Council.

For all Hawaii's resident who want to participate please click the link below for more details:
Pinwheels for Prevention Planting

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website: HawaiiChildrensTrustFund.org

National Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Join the Hawai`i Children's Trust Fund in spreading the awareness about child abuse prevention.  Throughout the United States of America and the State of Hawai`i several individuals, agencies, organizations, coalitions, companies, and councils are coming together to talk about the prevention of child abuse and neglect and the importance of protective factors in supporting children and families.

Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii, Parents and Children Together, The Department of Health, and the Child Abuse Prevention Planning Council are hosting a number of events throughout the month of April.  Click on the links below for more information about each event. 

Sunday March 29 join Prevention Child Abuse Hawai`i, Child Abuse Planning Prevention Council, and the Department of Health for the Pinwheels for Prevention.  The pinwheel display will be visible from March 29 - April 12, 2015 at the Hawai`i State Capitol. 

Thursday, April 9 is the Statewide Wear Blue Day to celebrate Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month. Snap a photo of yourself or your group wearing blue and post it to Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii’s Facebook page to show your commitment to preventing child abuse and support for strong families and healthy children for all of Hawaii! #wearbluehawaii #capmonthhawaii

Thursday, April 9, join Parents And Children Together (PACT) & Child Abuse Prevention Planning Council for Sign Waving at Tamarind Park from 7:00am - 9:00am.  

Saturday, April 25 will be the 18th Annual Teddy Bear Drive and Family Resource Fair at the Windward Mall Center Court.



 
You can also visit Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii's website for more information about the events listed above.

 

 Visit our website for a list of upcoming events related to child abuse prevention.  

CHILD MALTREATMENT 2013

The 24th annual Child Maltreatment report was recently released by the Administration for Children and Families. The report presents national and state-level data on child abuse and neglect known to child protective services (CPS) agencies in each state and the District of Columbia. According to the report, there were approximately 679,000 victims of child abuse and neglect across the country during the 2013 federal fiscal year, a 5% decrease from five years earlier. The report also includes data on: referrals and reports of child maltreatment, characteristics of victims and non-victims, fatalities that occurred as a result of maltreatment, perpetrators of maltreatment, services to prevent maltreatment and to assist children and families, and additional research related to child maltreatment. The following are key findings for the state of Hawai‘i:

In 2013, there were 1,324 victims of child abuse and neglect, a decrease of 34% since 2009. Nationally, the number of victims decreased 4% during the same time period.
Children younger than 1 year had the highest rate of victimization at 12.5 per 1,000, lower than the national rate of 23.1.  Eleven percent (11%) of victims had a reported disability (behavior problem, emotional disturbance, learning or intellectual disability, other medical condition, physically disabled, or visually or hearing impaired), lower than the U.S. average of 13%.
The average number of days to initiate services after receipt of a report was 20 days, half of the national average of 41 days.

The entire report can be downloaded from:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/cm2013.pd

Fun Disciplinary Tips for Parents

Great discipline tips to share with you today.  Many methods work and different ones work for different situations.  The key is to be consistent, followthrough once you've set up those rules and limits, show respect and remain calm.  Remember, you are your child's role model and he or she are watching you to see how you react when you're angry or frustrated. 

So, here are the four tips.  Tip number one: Teach natural consequences. It is much more meaningful for a child to see what happens when they makes the bad choice in a safe way, of course, than to choose a punishment that has absolutely nothing to do with the poor behavior.  So, for instance, if your toddler throws her spaghetti at the wall, she is telling you she is done eating and should be excused from the table.  Next time, she'll remember to eat dinner and not play with her food. 

Tip number two: Ignore certain attention-seeking behaviors.  I know it can be hard to disengage but if it isn't serious offense, just ignore it.  Kids will do many things in the name of getting your attention.  If your child doesn't get a rise out of you, he or she will probably stop doing it. So here's an example.  Your child loves to interrupt you when you talk on the phone. The solution? Ignore it, or else you have taught her that that tactic works and she will continue to do it again and again.  Even better, prepare for attention-seeking behavior and prevent it.  Set your kitchen timer and tell her you'll be able to talk to her once the timer goes off. 

Tip number three: Give choices.  Kids want to be in charge.  A child is more likely to cooperate if he or she feels like they are involved in the decision-making process. Just make sure those options you give are all things that you want to do anyway and be careful not to give too many options because that can be overwhelming.  So, when you're trying to get out the door in the morning, say, which do you want to do first? Do you want to put on your shoes or put on your coat?

Tip number four: Use time-out.  Yes, it really works if it's done correctly and consistently.   Your child can be moved to a safe place or you can move away from your child and that can do wonders to keep you calm and in control.  The whole point is, losing attention from you is the most effective way to get your message across.  Time-out is reserved for more serious offenses that put the child or somebody else in danger.  So, for instance, if your child takes a bite out of her friend's arm, she goes directly to time-out city.  Just remember, you won't see immediate success with any of these techniques.  Your child will test you 20 times to be sure you really meant what you said or be sure he or she can't get away with things on your watch.  Be patient and be consistent and you will see results.

Advice For Parenting Which Produces Solid Results!

Whatever the personal choices involved in choosing to become a parent, the reasons are valid on many levels. Although parenting can a very joyous job, it can also bring out issues, problems, and questions you didn't have before. One challenge of parenting is that your children, regardless of age, are likely to have their own perspective on things. This article offers proven advice on how to weather the parenting storms.

When setting up your nursery, remember that you do not need to spend a ton of money to create a nice space. Quality essentials like cribs and changing tables, are available quite cheaply at department stores, discount stores, and even venues like eBay or Craigslist. Friends and family members who are no longer using their baby furnishings may allow you to use them.

Praise your children often! If you 'catch' your child doing an appropriate behavior, tell him how proud you are. Children love positive words and praise. Hearing kind words will help your child to feel good about himself and will cause him to continue trying to do good things to receive more praise.

Breastfeeding can be hard. A lot of people think the baby is born and you can start right away. This isn't always the case. It is best to work with an LC or Lactation Consultant. They know everything about breastfeeding and give you the help you need to become successful at it.

When learning to discipline your child, do not make threats that you will not go through with. For instance, if your child throws his toy, do not say you are going to throw the toy away, if you are not going to do it. If your child knows you will not really do something, there is really, no need to listen.

Raising children is not only rewarding, but it is also stressful at times. No matter what the size of your family, there is an endless supply of situations that can challenge your patience and creativity. Hopefully the tips presented in this article will be an invaluable source of help when you next have a parenting dilemma.

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Be The Parents Your Kids Need

Parenting can be fun, interesting, and certainly full of challenges. In today's society we are dealing with more and more single parents, or families that live far from extended family. Working through the challenges of parenting when you're "on your own" means you need a little help. This article will discuss some of the best advice available for working through the most difficult times.

The most important thing to remember while disciplining your children is consistency. Parenting during the terrible-two's can be challenging, for both little one and adult. At this stage children like to push the limits of what is and is not allowed. Make sure that you set clear boundaries and are consistent with your time-outs so children know what is expected of them.

Try to attend every performance, sporting event, or whatever your child has going on. This is a great way for you to show your child that you care about them and to encourage them in whatever they want to do. If you have multiple children and their events conflict with each other, one parent may have to go to one event and the other to the other event; but always try to attend these events unless you absolutely cannot.

If you have a difficult or especially toddler, consider part-time daycare or nursery school. These options allow you maintain most of the control in raising your child, but still get them out of the house. Nursery school can provide a situation in which your child is being cared for by someone who won't give in to their demands and doesn't mind if they cry.

For parents who have children that like to sleep in your bed, it is important that you get them to sleep in their own bed. This is because the older a child gets, the harder it will be to stop the habit. When they come into your bed, immediately put them back into theirs.

When learning to discipline your child, do not make threats that you will not go through with. For instance, if your child throws his toy, do not say you are going to throw the toy away, if you are not going to do it. If your child knows you will not really do something, there is really, no need to listen.
A good parenting tip is to try not to be your child's best friend all the time. If you're constantly concerned about how your child thinks of you as his or her friend, your probably falling short in terms of being a parent. Ideally you should strive for a balance between the two.

A vital part of parenting is paying attention to all car safety regulations pertaining to young children and ensuring that you always have an appropriate safety seat for your child's age. By making sure your child is properly restrained every time they travel, you will be able to greatly reduce the risk of serious injury.

As we have discussed in this article, parenting can be challenging, especially when a parent is single or a family lives far from their relatives. Working through the challenges of parenthood doesn't have to be impossible though. Follow the tips and advice given here to help improve your parenting style

Please visit http://hawaiichildrenstrustfund.org