Posted: | April 4, 2019 02:09 PM |
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From: | Senator Michele Brooks |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Designating April 2019 as Child Abuse Prevention Month |
In the near future, I will be reintroducing a resolution designating April as “Child Abuse Prevention Month” in Pennsylvania. In 2017, the most recent year for which statistics were available, 4,693 cases of child abuse were substantiated in the Commonwealth, with 40 children dying as a direct result of abuse and neglect, and 88 children almost losing their lives, according to the Family Support Alliance. These numbers reflect the suffering of thousands of children in the Commonwealth who live in fear and often suffer in silence. Child abuse crosses all racial, economic and geographic boundaries, and can lead to school failure, alcohol and drug abuse, physical and psychological challenges, and even lifelong disabilities. The heroin and opioid epidemic has exacerbated the scope and severity of the problem. By enhancing the public’s awareness of child abuse, and preventing and stopping abusive behaviors and environments, we are committed to breaking the vicious cycle of abuse and creating a safe, nurturing, loving home for every infant and child in Pennsylvania. Please join me in honoring those advocates, agencies, churches, and parents who are striving to guarantee children a peaceful upbringing, free of violence and victimization, and in raising understanding and encouraging action that will ultimately protect today’s infants and children and generations to come. Thank you for joining me in support of this resolution and these efforts. |
Introduced as SR93