April Is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Casa Central’s Intact Families program is working harder than ever to raise awareness of child abuse and neglect — to prevent it and take action to stop it.
2025’s theme is “Powered by Hope, Strengthened by Prevention.” This theme underlines the idea that communities can come together to support family well-being rather than focus only on responding to incidents of child abuse and neglect. The well-being of children cannot be separated from the well-being of their families and communities.
Some of the most effective prevention efforts work at the community level, strengthening the family’s social network and utilizing that network as a source of support. When a community supports its parents and children, it is easier for all families to thrive. When families thrive, communities thrive.
On the morning of April 2nd, staff from the Intact Family program will participate in the annual blue ribbon tying event which will take place in front of the main Casa Central building at 1343 N. California Ave. Children from the Early Learning Academy Center-Based program will come out to participate in tying ribbons to the fence and will each receive a pinwheel. Pinwheels are a symbol used to spread awareness about child abuse.
Children from families participating in the Intact Families program were provided the materials and opportunity to create awareness posters about child abuse prevention.
As part of the Wear Blue Day for Child Abuse Prevention in Illinois, Casa staff are being encouraged to wear blue on April 2nd and each Friday during the month of April. We encourage you to wear blue or a blue ribbon pin this month to help spread the word!
Additional information about child abuse prevention will be emailed to Casa Central staff and printed out to be distributed to Casa participants.
The Intact Families program is busy every day of the year addressing these issues and fostering positive changes that make a real impact for children and families in our communities. We thank them for their dedication and will work beside them this April to help raise awareness and make a difference about this issue that affects us all.