Child Abuse Prevention Month - we can all play a part in strengthening families

Release Date: April 15, 2010 Phones: 423.288.3454 (home)
423.676.6931 (cell)
Contact: Sharon Petke, Facilitator, Kingsport/Sullivan County Community Advisory Board Email: sspetke@mac.com



We Can All Play a Part in Strengthening Families

April Is National Child Abuse Prevention Month


Kingsport TN – April 15, 2010– In 2008, the Tennessee legislature mandated the Department of Children’s Services to form “independent local advisory boards,” to be composed of representatives from many different community organizations who will work together to identify, develop, and link its citizens with needed community resources.


The Kingsport Community Advisory Board (CAB) has active volunteer representation from

Department of Children’s Services
Frontier Health
Kingsport City Schools
Children’s Advocacy Center
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
United Way of Kingsport
Goodwill Industries
Safe Haven Center
Waverly Road Presbyterian Church
Hope House Center for Women


Our mission statement is simple. It says, “We will address the immediate, unmet needs of children and families in Sullivan County by linking them to relevant services.”


In recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Kingsport/Sullivan County Community Advisory Board encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making our community a better place for families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help prevent neglect and child abuse.


Research compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, its Child Welfare Information Gateway, and the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention was presented in the article titled Strengthening Families and Communities: 2010 Resource Guide (available at www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/res_guide_2010). It shows that five important factors are present in healthy families. Working to enhance these areas of family life is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. They are:

Building and maintaining close bonds between parents and children - helps parents better understand, respond to, and communicate with their children.
Knowledge of parenting skills and of normal child and youth development - learning what to look for at each age, and learning ways to help their children reach their full potential
Parental resilience - recognizing the signs of stress and enhancing parents’ problem-solving skills
Social connections - an extensive network of family, friends, and neighbors means they’re not going it alone
Concrete supports for parents - access to financial, housing, and other concrete resources and services helps them meet their basic needs so they can focus on their role as parents


"April is a time to celebrate the important role that a community plays in helping parents incorporate those factors into their lifestyles, and thus protect its children," said Sharon Petke, Kingsport CAB’s current Facilitator. "Everyone's participation is critical. Focusing on ways to promote healthy families is the best thing our community can do to prevent child abuse and neglect."


For more information about child abuse prevention programs and activities during the month of April and throughout the year, contact Jamie Steele, 423.915.6990 (cell); 423.979.5273 (office); or Jamie.X.Steele@tn.gov


For more information about the local Community Advisory Board, contact Sharon Petke at 423.288.3454 or sspetke@mac.com.