April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
Each April, as the season moves from winter to spring, our focus shifts to all things growing and green. Spring makes us think of freshness, sunshine, and new life. It is the perfect time to remember the value of all children, as April has been declared National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
In the Psalms, David tells us, “Children are a heritage from the Lord.” (Psalm 127:3) In Ephesians, Paul states that children are “dearly loved” and tells fathers not to “exasperate” or “embitter their children.” (Ephesians 5:1, 6:4) It is out of love and due to God’s instruction and His tenderness toward children that we take such care in raising them and in providing for them.
How has it come about then that some children are abused, neglected, and abandoned? The statistics are sobering. Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura, head of DCS in Indiana, shared the following facts recently:
- Children entering the foster care system increased by 26% between 2014-2015, mainly due to increased parental substance abuse
- 13,000 calls are made to DCS each month to report children in danger
- There were 20,267 substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect in our state in 2014
Lisa Schloss, a licensed clinical social worker and co-founder of New Song Mission, echoes the sentiments of so many when she says, “Families are in crisis and children are hurting. If we work collaboratively now, as those who care about the future of children, we can have an impact on generations to come.”
No one likes to hear stories of children being removed from homes due to violence, abuse, or neglect. Even less appealing are stories of children dying from these situations. It is easy to think the problem is too big; easy to think that there is little we can do to make big changes in the lives of these kids. But we can!
“The Christian community has a real responsibility to help kids who are struggling, and there are many opportunities to do so. We all need to prayerfully consider how the Lord wants us to respond to the broken and needy children who are all around us,” shared Mrs. Schloss. Some ideas include:
• Partnering with ministries and organizations serving at-risk youth such as mentoring organizations, schools, foster care agencies, and children’s home campuses
• Serving as a guardian ad litem or court-appointed special advocate in your local community
• Becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister
• Becoming a foster parent
• Serving in your local school system
• Financially supporting ministries and agencies who serve kids in need
• Sponsoring a campus home for the at-risk kids who will be living on the New Song campus
• Serving youth in your local church
• Praying for the children and youth of your community
The Indiana Department of Child Services states on its website that children benefit from something as simple as a friendship. Children need dependable people to guide them and be there for them in times of trouble. And of course, if there is ever a time you suspect that a child has been abused or neglected, Indiana has a mandatory reporting law requiring such suspicions be reported to authorities.
New Song Mission exists to assist children and families experiencing the trauma of child abuse and neglect, fatherlessness, and poverty. To help children at New Song, perhaps you might consider becoming a houseparent. We are currently seeking candidates for this life-changing ministry opportunity. For more information, please follow this link: NewSongMission.org/houseparent.
We join with you in praying for the children of our state, country, and world. If you are interested in joining New Song Mission’s efforts to care for children, please contact us at info@NewSongMission.org. Together we CAN bring them hope--NOW!