The movement to prevent child abuse grows as five new sites across Oregon join Protect Our Children
Last month, we celebrated Child Abuse Prevention Month — a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to keep kids safe, especially in rural communities across Oregon where resources can be limited and families face unique challenges. This year’s theme, “Powered by Hope, Strengthened by Prevention,” couldn’t be more fitting for places that rely on strong local connections to care for their kids.
A question our program officers often hear is: What really is abuse prevention? It can take so many forms, in truth — from promoting access to prenatal care and home visiting, child care, education across the lifespan, workforce supports, financial stability, and empowering communities to lead their own change. All of these areas help create healthier environments for children and families; this is abuse prevention.
In Oregon, thousands of children experience abuse or neglect each year. Rural areas often have fewer services and less access to trained professionals, making prevention efforts even more important. That’s where community-based action comes in. Local campaigns like Prevent Child Abuse Oregon’s “Pinwheels for Prevention” help raise awareness of the issue, but long-term change comes from building strong support systems.
One critical partner in building those systems is Protect Our Children. This effort, now in its tenth year, has changed the landscape of abuse prevention across Oregon and beyond. Protect Our Children has reached more than 50,000 people across Oregon and Northern California with child sexual abuse prevention training — and the response to this prevention work is overwhelmingly positive. Those who attend these offerings all report that they became more confident asking tough questions, spotting warning signs, and advocating for policies that protect kids.
The Protect Our Children movement continues to grow with the addition of these five new partner sites:
- Family Development Center serving Douglas County
- Wally’s House in Curry County
- Amani Child Abuse Assessment Center for Columbia County
- KIDS First serving Lane County
- CARES Northwest serving Multnomah and Washington counties
If you are reading this and would like to get involved, click here to connect with one of the 16 Protect Our Children sites across the region or attend an upcoming child abuse prevention training.
We also invite you to order this two-book bundle for caregivers and children offered for free to residents of Oregon and Siskiyou County, Calif., through the Foundation’s SelectBooks program.
Family Development Center’s Marsha LaVerne and Lisa Austin of Healthy Families recently spoke about local child abuse and prevention work on KQEN’s Inside Douglas County.
Listen to interview with Protect Our Children partner in Douglas County