Child Abuse Prevention Month
This is not one of my typical posts, but this site is all about raising kids for Christ, so I thought I’d share some information about children who are not blessed with the right atmosphere to learn about Jesus and how we can help.
Around 158,900 children ages two to five were abused in the United States in 2019, which is the most common age of abuse victims. The number of child fatalities due to abuse or maltreatment has remained relatively steady since 2007, and in 2019, there were 1,809 deaths from child abuse or maltreatment. UNBELIEVABLE! And this is just kids ages two to five. According to DoSomething.org, 1 in 7 children experienced child abuse and/or neglect in the past year. It’s heartbreaking.
This is on my mind right now as my husband and I work our way through the process of becoming foster parents. Our children are grown now and with numbers like this, we couldn’t do nothing. As we go through the process we can see that it’s not possible for everyone to foster children. I am expecting behavioral issues that come from children removed from their homes living in rough situations, but I am surprised at how time-consuming it is outside of simply raising the children. The state/courts require a lot of time.
What can we do? Well, you can become a foster parent, but what if that’s not for you? No problem. There are so many opportunities. Try involving your children’s classes in service work to help children who are not as fortunate as them. Reach out to a local foster care service or children’s home. They always have a need for items such as diapers, blankets, stuffed animals, and more. Encourage kids to collect certain items for these children and take them to one of these providers. Same idea as at Christmas when you adopt a family! One provider near me has a website listing volunteer opportunities. One of those opportunities is putting craft kits together. You could take one Bible class period to share what scripture says about helping others, helping orphans in particular, then go through an assembly line to put together craft kits. There are so many possibilities.
Looking for an activity to do with your child reminding them that you love them and God loves them? Try a watercolor heart! It’s easy and lot’s of fun.
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27 (NIV)
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