Posted
Sponsored by: County Administrative Office
Child Abuse Prevention Month 2013
Sadly, in Washington County, far too many children suffer some type of abuse at the hands of those who should be committed to their care and nurture. All members of the community must take responsibility to become informed and act to protect children from all manner of abuse and neglect. In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, two local events are being offered to help people make a difference.
First on Saturday, April 27th, beginning at 9:00 a.m., the second annual "Footsteps for Families" run/walk is being held to raise awareness about child abuse and raise money to help child-serving agencies. The event takes place at Cook Park in Tigard and offers either a 10K or a 5K course. The 10K begins at 9:00 a.m. and registration is $35. The 5K begins at 9:10 a.m. and costs $25. Both races are on a paved path and will be chip-timed.
The run is being presented by Foster Kids Forward, a community partnership that works to safely and equitably reduce the number of children in foster care. Proceeds benefit Healthy Start-Healthy Families of Washington County, Domestic Violence Resource Center and Community Action Organization. Online registration is available.
Next, on the evening of Tuesday April 30th, parents and other caring adults will have an opportunity to learn more about child sexual abuse prevention. This free workshop will be presented at Mountain View Middle School from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Topics will include tactics used by sex offenders, how to talk to children about sexual abuse, how to respond to disclosures of abuse and what actions can be taken to protect children.
The event is being organized by the Washington County Child Abuse Multi-Disciplinary Team and will be instructed by staff from CARES Northwest. CARES Northwest is a collaborative, community-based medical program for the assessment, treatment and prevention of child abuse. They provide a safe, child-friendly environment for the assessment of children for whom there are concerns of physical or sexual abuse, neglect and exposure to domestic violence.
View the flyers: