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April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This initiative is rooted in communities working together to serve children and their families in meaningful, impactful ways and provide families what they need to thrive through both calm and challenging times.
Employers play a pivotal role in building parental capacity through protective factors, which are conditions or attributes that:
- mitigate or eliminate risk, and
- can increase the health and well-being of children and families.
Protective factors employers can offer include family-friendly practices such as paid leave, child care support, health insurance, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) programs. All of these help to provide parents with the tools they need to parent effectively, even under stress.
National Child Abuse Prevention Month is more than just raising awareness about the reality of child maltreatment. It’s about taking action to reduce it. Employers across NC can join in this national effort by providing employees with the support they need, and Family Forward NC has data and resources to support employees who want to implement these practices.
Learn more about how to offer:
- employee assistance programs, which directly support families’ mental health;
- support to find and afford child care—a major financial burden for most families, which can lead to stress and overwhelm; or
- paid family leave, which improves family functioning, including preventing child maltreatment and reducing domestic violence, and dramatically improves birth outcomes.
All children deserve to grow up in safe, supportive environments. This National Child Abuse Prevention Month, help make this possible by supporting families and spreading the word about the importance of child abuse prevention. For more information and resources, visit the Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina website.
Together, we can end child abuse and neglect.
For more information about Family Forward NC and the Family Forward NC Employer Certification, including an online directory of all certified employers, visit www.familyforwardnc.com.
About the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation
NCECF works to ensure every N.C. child has a strong foundation for life-long health, education, and well-being supported by a comprehensive, equitable birth-to-eight ecosystem. Thanks to the North Carolina Institute of Medicine, PacWest Bancorp, Truist Foundation and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services for supporting Family Forward NC.