SelectBooks offers two-book bundle during Child Abuse Prevention Month
All children deserve a childhood filled with love and hope.
As adults, it’s our responsibility to look out for the well-being of all children.
Child abuse and neglect are preventable.
These ideas underlie National Child Abuse Prevention month and the efforts of dozens of committed community organizations across the state working year-round to prevent and address situations of abuse and neglect of Oregon’s children.
Lee Ann Grogan, program officer, works to support the Foundation’s child abuse prevention strategies.
“Adults are the key for Oregon kids to enjoy happy and hopeful futures,” she explains. “But a child can’t live to their potential without experiencing safety and security. Our hope is that communities will wrap around kids and find ways to create and nurture safety for all children.”
As a resource to parents and caregivers of young children, the Foundation’s free book program, SelectBooks, is offering a two-book bundle addressing boundaries, safety and consent. My Body Belongs to Me: A Parent’s Guide and accompanying children’s book by the same title spell out practical ways to talk with children about their safety and what to do if someone violates their boundaries.
While adults may feel that not speaking to children about these issues preserves their innocence, the research-backed expertise in the book bundle offers developmentally-appropriate ways to strengthen – and protect – children.
Sarah Bright, Education Coordinator at the Bay Area Hospital’s Kids’ HOPE Center in Coos Bay, maintains an extensive library of books available to the caregivers and children they serve. Bright recommends My Body Belongs to Me because of its specific guidance for conversations. The author includes practical scripts for talking with children, answers to common questions and troubleshooting tips for instances when conversations don’t go as planned.
“This book helps parents know exactly what to say when talking about boundaries, respect and consent,” Bright explains. “That makes it easier to tackle these tough subjects with our children.”
Sarah Bright, Education Coordinator at the Bay Area Hospital’s Kids’ HOPECenter in Coos Bay, stands in front of their community lending library.
Providing caregivers with the knowledge and supports they need for effective parenting is part of the Foundation’s two-generation strategy that recognizes when parents do well, kids do well. We fund and partner with all kinds of organizations to prevent child abuse and neglect, build awareness, and strengthen systems that bring stability and safety to the most vulnerable among us.
And more state policies are being enacted to do the same. In the 2024 legislative session, Senate Bill 1579 (SB 1579) created a new $7 million Children’s Advocacy Center Fund to bolster programs that conduct child abuse assessments and coordinate comprehensive responses to abuse and neglect. And the passage of Oregon House Bill 4140 (HB 4140) also helped stabilize critical funding for the 24 Child Advocacy Centers operating across all 36 counties in the state.
“Empowering our state to protect and nurture its youngest members is not a policy but an imperative,” shares Shelly Smith, executive director at Oregon Child Abuse Solutions. “Together, these policies ensure that all children, regardless of their location or background, will have access to the support and resources they need when abuse is suspected or has occurred.”
Join us in preventing child abuse and neglect across Oregon – it takes all of us. Residents of Oregon and Siskiyou County, California, can order the two-book bundle for free including shipping at selectbooks.org/collection/my-body-belongs-to-me-bundle/.