What  Child  Abuse  Is,  How  We  Respond  To  It,  And  What  You  Can  Do  About  It

Suggested Reading:  CTF recommends this book entitled After the Cradle Falls by Melissa Jonson-Reid & Brett Drake.  Melissa presented on the content of her unique book during the 2019 CTF Prevention Conference, where CTF offered a copy to each attendee to foster shared learning about child abuse and neglect prevention.  Geared toward the general public, CTF encourages you to read as well!  Get your copy!

–There may be no other social problem so common, yet so little understood by the general public, as child abuse and neglect. This book is intended to help remedy that situation. After the Cradle Falls integrates examples from folklore, songs, and news articles with the latest summary of empirical research to create an accessible and engaging work intended to provoke the reader to think about how to address the issue of child abuse and neglect in America. Written in a conversational style, the book engages the reader in thinking through why maltreatment occurs, what it looks like, and what we do and do not know. Most importantly, it asks the reader to become involved in the solution based on their own conclusions and values.

Given the prevailing state of widespread public misunderstanding about child abuse, its causes and effects, and the involved systems, After the Cradle Falls is particularly current, relevant, and useful. It is a must-read for students, professionals in child advocacy or family services agencies, and policymakers.

Safe Sleep for Babies.  #AloneBackCrib
Attention Parents and Caregivers!  The Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper has been recalled. Learn about what you can do if you have one by visiting How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained and spread the word to your networks.

It’s important to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Safe Sleep Recommendations to keep babies safe from suffocation.  Please use caution when buying products and avoid the use of commercial devices that are inconsistent with safe sleep recommendations.

— Reducing dangers for families means holding infant sleep products to the highest standard, says NICHQ President and CEO, Scott D. Berns, MD, MPH, FAAP. “Every year, we lose thousands of babies to preventable deaths, and that means we need to do more to help families understand and follow safe sleep practices—that includes protecting them from purchasing products that could cause harm. We should all be working to make things easier for families, not more confusing. As a national children’s health organization, we stand behind the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics.”

> Fisher-Price recalls more inclined baby sleeper products following Rock ‘n Play recall – USA TODAY 6-19
> Products that Cause Infant Death should be Recalled – National Institute for Children’s Health Quality 4-19

#AloneBackCrib

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Happy Fathers Day to all dads & father figures!  Thank you for making #GreatChildhoods happen!

Click here for terrific Fatherhood Resources  offered by the Child Welfare Information Gateway.

#StrongFamiliesSafeKids

An analysis by the Missouri Children’s Trust Fund – March 2019

Dear Friends and Partners,

One of my favorite expressions is “if it was easy, we’d have already done it.”

Creating a high-functioning home visiting system that is accessible to all families in need is not easy. For years, Missouri has spent millions of dollars on home visiting, without a deliberate cross-agency strategy to increase the efficiency, quality and reach of these programs. Although it is not easy, it is time that we take our commitment and conversations to the next level and create true change.

Expanding and Enhancing Home Visiting in Missouri — An analysis by the Missouri Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) provides a starting point to making our system better. We are not asking for perfection, nor are we asking for or expecting agreement on all fronts. What we are asking for is a commitment to getting better. Regardless of what your role is or where you are, every single one of us can control our openness to change, our willingness to consider new ideas and the effort we put into improving services for Missouri families. CTF asks for your commitment to making our state home visiting system better.

In the coming months, we hope to have many conversations on how we can work together to make improvements. I hope you will consider what your role could be in the ‘not so easy’ task of creating the best home visiting system in the nation.

Emily van Schenkhof
CTF Executive Director