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One of my first jobs was working at a therapeutic child care center. The center helped children one-month through five-years overcome the effects of child abuse and/or neglect. These young children often could not speak with words about what had happened to them, but often their behaviors, or their parents behaviors had triggered a Child Protective Service response and allowed them into the center’s opening arms.

Reading in the Seattle newspapers about the 14-year-old girl in Carnation that suffered from starvation and abuse, made me think about many of the young children I saw come through the center. The article also reminded me about how important it is to know the warning signs of child abuse and neglect, and how it takes a concerned community to stop or prevent abuse from happening. In Carnation all it took was a neighbor who called the police saying she was concerned—the power of one person who cared to make a call.

There are often signs and symptoms of abuse or neglect, please take a moment to learn more. The Child Welfare Gateway website has an easy list to review:

The Child:

• Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance
• Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents' attention
• Has learning problems (or difficulty concentrating) that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes
• Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen
• Lacks adult supervision
• Is overly compliant, passive, or withdrawn
• Comes to school or other activities early, stays late, and does not want to go home

The Parent:

• Shows little concern for the child
• Denies the existence of—or blames the child for—the child's problems in school or at home
• Asks teachers or other caregivers to use harsh physical discipline if the child misbehaves
• Sees the child as entirely bad, worthless, or burdensome
• Demands a level of physical or academic performance the child cannot achieve
• Looks primarily to the child for care, attention, and satisfaction of emotional needs

The Parent and Child:

• Rarely touch or look at each other
• Consider their relationship entirely negative
• State that they do not like each other

In Washington you can report suspected abuse or neglect (of either a child or an adult) by calling the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) toll-free hotline at 1-866-END-HARM (1-866-363-4276). It takes adults caring about children and the persistence to get them help that will change a child’s life.

There are many programs and services in place to help prevent child abuse in neglect. Childhaven offers a Crisis Nursery that can offer respite care for children under the age of five in King County. D.A.D.S. (Divine Alternatives for Dads) offers one-on-one case advocacy program for fathers in need of family services. Washington State 211 can help to connect you with services in your community—again all it takes is a phone call. By dialing 211 you can explain what services you need and they will connect you to those services in your area.

Often the stories of prevention don’t make the front page of the newspaper, but that doesn’t make those stories any less important. I remember so many of the young children that passed through my old workplace. One child, a chubby little four-year-old with spiral braids and a knee length dress, said to me “You’ll remember me, right?” Today, if I saw her I would tell her “Of course I remember you!” 

*UPDATE*

Lorrie Grevstad, a dedicated colleague, brought to my attention Stregthening Families here in Washington. The Stregthening Families website has some wonderful information for families, providers, the community about protecting children and helping all families provide nurturing care for children. Read Below to leran more:

Strengthening Families Washington – Making Small Changes for Big Results

Early childhood professionals have known for decades that they play a unique role in protecting and nurturing young children as well as promoting their social and emotional development.

Now there is evidence to suggest that early childhood programs that reach out to parents may also be the best child abuse and neglect prevention strategy. Washington has been selected to expand an approach aimed at connecting child care centers, parents and communities with the resources and support each need to ensure the best possible outcomes for children.

The Strengthening Families Washington initiative is based on national research and evidence that recognizes the important role child care providers play in building protective factors in families with young children. Protective factors help parents use resources, support and strategies that allow them to parent more effectively, even under stress.

 Research shows that quality child care can enhance:

• Parental resilience 
• Social connections 
• Knowledge of parenting and child development
• Concrete support in times of need 
• Social and emotional competence of children

Please take a moment to look at their website and learn more about how you can make a difference in a child's life. If you know of other websites, books, or information please let us know, you can leave a comment or email me at erin@earlylearning.org. We want to hear from you.