HOLLISTER
To promote awareness for child abuse prevention month, the Child Abuse Prevention Council of San Benito County is sponsoring a children’s art contest for kids in third through sixth grades.
“I’m really excited about this. Child abuse is something I’ve worked with since my first job,” said County Director of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and event co-coordinator Jeanne Melius. “It’s something that occurs and crosses socio-economic lines … across the board.”
The contest was inspired from two child abuse incidents that occurred in the area around the same time. The first was the shooting of 18-month-old Donna Busch in November, and the other was a case that happened in Santa Clara County, both within 10 days of each other.
The council is a nonprofit social service agency that works with individuals and families to end the cycle of child abuse through promoting individual well-being and healthy relationships. The council has been active for more than 25 years and envisions a “world of safe children, thriving families and nurturing communities,” according to a press release from the county public health division.
April is recognized as child abuse prevention month, and the council takes on a blue-ribbon campaign to raise awareness regarding “the challenges of child abuse and will guide in what we, as community members of this county, can do to help,” according to the press release.
The major problem with child abuse is that a lot of it goes undetected and unreported. Melius said that one of the biggest deterrents, which is statistically proven, is education about child abuse. Education informs parents that there are other ways to deal with problematic children and that feelings of stress with a child are normal.
“We help people come up with alternative ways to deal with stressed out feelings,” Melius said. She added that if anyone is aware of child abuse that is happening, she encourages them to call social services.
The art contest invites student artists to develop a poster and slogan related to child abuse prevention. All entries will be on display at the YMCA’s Healthy Families Day on April 25. Awards will be given for first, second and third place.
For more information on the Blue Ribbon Campaign for Child Abuse Prevention Month, contact Ana Cabrera at the San Benito County Health and Human Services Agency at 634-0686 or by e-mail at ac******@sa***********.org.
