April is Child Abuse Prevention Month! It is a month when many activities are planned in communities throughout the state to increase awareness about the importance of preventing child abuse and neglect and show support for Missouri’s kids.  It also serves as a time to remember those who have suffered, as well as a reminder to continue the important work to help kids and families be safe and strong.  We encourage you to inspire change and get involved:

• Download the 2010 Strengthening Families and Communities Resource Guide.
• Join us for Go Blue Day, Friday, April 16 by wearing blue to show your support for prevention.
• Help us celebrate April by supporting Pinwheels For Prevention.
• Post your community prevention activity online by completing the event survey.
• Check out the electronic tool kit for additional resources.
• Print 10 Ways to Help Prevent Child Abuse.
• Visit the 2010 National Child Abuse Prevention Month website to find resources and strategies for engaging communities and supporting families.
• Phone ParentLink’s Warmline (1-800-552-8522) for parenting information and support.

Prevention makes cents and sense. Thank you for making it a priority in April and throughout the year.

In 2008, 1077 children age 17 and under died in Missouri, a decrease of 95 children from the previous year.  This and other valuable information is included in the Missouri Child Fatality Review Program's Annual Report, Preventing Child Deaths in Missouri. The report provides a statistical breakdown of child injuries and deaths both accidental and non-accidental by county and statewide.  It also contains helpful recommendations for keeping children safe and reducing the chances for injuries and/or fatalites from occurring.  Issued by the State Technical Assistance Team (STAT), Missouri Department of Social Services, the report provides information about Missouri's Child Fatality Review Program and reflects the work of many dedicated professionals throughout the state who strive to improve and protect the lives of Missouri's youngest citizens.  Printing for this document is paid in part by a grant from the Children's Trust Fund.

Citizens for Missouri's Children (CMC) recently released the 17th annual KIDS COUNT in Missouri Data Book. The annual publication, a collaborative project of CMC, the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF), and more than 30 public and private organizations from across the state, documents the status of children in all 114 Missouri counties and the City of Saint Louis.

The book provides information on measures of child well-being covering areas such as health, education, financial security, juvenile justice and child protection. In conjunction with the release of the book, CMC has a unique interactive web tool that allows users to compare county-by-county data over time.  The 2009 Data Book finds that during the most recent reporting period, Missouri made improvements in six of the key KIDS COUNT indicators including a reduction in child abuse and neglect, while four key indicators were worse.

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The American Humane Association (AHA) recently launched an innovative program based upon the belief that therapy animals can help individuals who have suffered physical or emotional trauma.  The Therapy Animals Supporting Kids (TASK)™ Program, co-created by AHA’s Allie Phillips and Diana McQuarrie, encourages and guides child welfare professionals on how to incorporate therapy animals into sessions with children who have been abused or neglected or who have witnessed violence. When children have suffered trauma, it is often difficult for them to speak of their experiences. According to AHA, therapy animals can help children become more open and promote the healing process in such venues as children’s advocacy centers and courtrooms.

To assist with program implementation, AHA has developed a Program Manual (pdf) that provides guidance for setting up an animal-assisted therapy program and safely working with therapy animals. The manual also covers the legal implications of effectively incorporating therapy animals in working with children.  For more information about the Task Program e-mail task@americanhumane.org.

As summer temperatures heat up in Missouri, the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) reminds all parents and caretakers to never leave a child unattended in or around a vehicle. The interior of a vehicle can heat up to temperatures well over 100 degrees in just a few short minutes.  But regardless of the temperature, children should NEVER be left alone in a vehicle because of other dangers and risks. A child left unattended in a vehicle even for a short time is in danger of dehydration, overheating, hyperthermia, injury, abduction and even death.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released its first-ever “Not-in-Traffic Surveillance 2007 – Children” confirming that preventable deaths and injuries associated with motor vehicles happen with regularity every year, not only on public roadways, but on private driveways and in parking lots.  The safety agency report estimates that thousands of tragic and life-altering incidents occurred in 2007 due to children being left alone in hot vehicles, being backed over, or powerful automatic vehicle windows closing on necks and limbs of car occupants.

To help spread this critical safety message, CTF offers several public education materials from our ‘Not Even For A Minute‘ Campaign (NEFAM). These are available at no cost in hard copy and download (pdf) and include a poster and rack card complete with helpful tips and reminders. The NEFAM Campaign also includes television and radio public service announcments (PSAs):

• CTF NEFAM Radio PSA 1
• CTF NEFAM Radio PSA 2

KidsAndCars, a national organization that addresses safety issues of children in and around vehicles, provides several helpful tips and reminders to parents and caregivers.

• Never leave a child alone in a vehicle and teach your children to never play in, around or behind a vehicle.
• Put something you’ll need like your cell phone, handbag, employee ID, lunch or brief case, etc., on the floor board in the back seat. Get in the habit of always opening the back door of your vehicle every time you reach your destination to make sure no child has been left behind.  “Look before you lock” will soon become a habit.
• Keep a large teddy bear in the child’s car seat when it’s not occupied.  When the child is placed in the seat, put the teddy bear in the front passenger seat. It’s a visual reminder that anytime the teddy bear is up front you know the child is in the back seat in a child safety seat.
• Make arrangements with your child’s day care center or babysitter that you will always call them if your child will not be there on a particular day as scheduled. This is common courtesy and sets a good example that everyone who is involved in the care of your child is informed of their whereabouts on a daily basis.  Ask them to phone you if your child doesn’t show up when expected.  Many children’s lives could have been saved with a telephone call from a concerned child care provider.  Give child care providers all your telephone numbers, including that of an extra family member or friend, so they can always confirm the whereabouts of your child.
• Use drive-thru services when available. (restaurants, banks, pharmacies, dry cleaners, etc.)  Use your debit or credit card to pay for gas at the pump.
• If you see a child alone in a vehicle, get involved.  If they are hot or seem sick, get them out as quickly as possible.  Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
• Keep vehicles locked at all times; even in the garage or driveway and always set your parking brake.  Keys and/or remote openers should never be left within reach of children.
• Make sure all child passengers have left the vehicle after it is parked.  Hold child’s hand firmly when leaving the vehicle.
• Know where your kids are. When a child is missing, check vehicles and car trunks immediately.
• Walk around and behind a vehicle prior to moving it.  Make children move away from your vehicle to a place where they are in full view before moving the car and know that another adult is properly supervising children before moving your vehicle.  Keep toys and other sports equipment off the driveway.
• Teach children that “parked” vehicles might move. Let them know that they can see the vehicle; but the driver might not be able to see them.
• Be especially careful about keeping children safe in and around cars during busy times, schedule changes and periods of crisis or holidays
• Consider installing cross view mirrors, audible collision detectors, rear view video camera and/or some type of back up detection device.
• Measure the size of your blind zone (area) behind the vehicle(s) you drive. A 5-foot-1-inch driver in a pickup truck can have a rear blind zone of approximately 8 feet wide by 50 feet long. Be aware that steep inclines and large SUV’s, vans and trucks add to the difficulty of seeing behind a vehicle.
• Homeowners should trim landscaping around the driveway to ensure they can see the sidewalk, street and pedestrians clearly when backing out of their driveway. Pedestrians also need to be able to see a vehicle pulling out of the driveway.

Resources & Articles:

• Scorching Summer Heat-Keeping MO Kids Safe, 6/25/2009
• Safe Kids USA
• Harrison’s Hope
• Fatal Distraction – Wa shington Post Magazine, 3/8/2009
• Consumer Advisory from NHTSA June 2009

The 2008 Kids Count Missouri Data Book, released by Citizens For Missouri’s Children (CMC), shows a number of positive changes as well as challenges for Missouri’s children. One of the positive changes includes an overall decrease in the rates of child abuse and neglect between 2003 and 2007.

The annual publication, a collaborative project of CMC, the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF), and more than 30 public and private organizations from across the state, documents the status of children in all Missouri counties and the City of Saint Louis.

The book provides information on measures of child well-being covering areas such as health, education, financial security, juvenile justice and child protection. In conjunction with the release of the book, CMC has created a unique interactive Web tool that allows users to compare county-by-county data over time.

For the third year in a row, Saint Charles County was ranked as the state’s most kid-friendly area, based on a composite of all KIDS COUNT measures. Platte County, located just north of Kansas City, was second, followed by Atchison, Worth, and Nodaway Counties in northwest Missouri. The City of Saint Louis ranked last in the composite rankings, with Dunklin, Pemiscot, McDonald, and Ripley Counties in southeast Missouri rounding out the bottom five. The state’s two largest counties, Saint Louis County and Jackson County, ranked 18th and 85th respectively.

Data for the report is compiled from more than 80 federal, state, county and municipal sources by the Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis (OSEDA) at the University of Missouri.  Primary funding for the project is provided by CTF, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation.

Related –   CMC Kids Count General Release – 5/11/09;
Download 2008 Kids Count Data Book (pdf)

Child Maltreatment 2007, an annual report from the Children’s Bureau, is now available online. The report presents national and state statistics on child abuse and neglect derived from data collected by child protective services (CPS) agencies through the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System.

This year’s report shows a decrease in the number of children who were maltreated—794,000 in 2007, which is down from 904,000 in 2006. The report includes information on:

• The estimated 3.2 million referrals made to CPS agencies in 2007, involving the alleged maltreatment of approximately 5.8 million children;
• Fatalities that occurred as a result of maltreatment;
• Perpetrators of maltreatment; and
• Services to prevent maltreatment and to assist victims.