Thousands of Texans will wear blue, the official color of prevention, to show their support for children this Friday, April 3rd. Many community events and activities are scheduled throughout the month to emphasize the critical importance of preventing child abuse and neglect and keeping children safe. Join them and GO BLUE!
This issue is especially important to Allie Graves the current reigning Miss Texas’ Outstanding Teen 2019.
From a young age, Allie began a life of community service and has continued to reach out to lend a helping hand with various organizations. Her passion for giving back stems from a traumatic early childhood. From being abandoned as an infant and soon after knowing first-hand the damaging effects of child abuse, to eventually being fostered and finally adopted by a loving family, Allie has experienced much in her life. Because others advocated for her as a child, she has overcome the trauma and is devoted to her mission of helping others in difficult circumstances. Allie’s mantra is “What Love Can Do”. She will be the first to tell you we all should be living proof of how love truly makes a difference.
The following statement is from Allie Graves:
April is always set aside as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month in the United States and it is my honor to be a face and a voice for those who have been affected including our most vulnerable citizens, our children. This year it’s extremely important for us to bring more awareness than EVER BEFORE. As we are in the midst of this COVID19 pandemic, the number of child abuse cases has the potential to skyrocket. While so many of us are “safe” at home with our loving families, for so many children, that just isn’t the case. In most cases, teachers and counselors are the eyes and ears of our children who are living the unthinkable and unfortunately, right now this just isn’t possible. Ninety percent of children who are sexually or physically abused, personally know their abuser and 68 percent are abused by family members.
The time for action and awareness is NOW. People ask, “How can a person abuse a child?” We should ask, “How can so many ‘good’ people NOT DO ANYTHING about it?”
Let’s ALL do our part in protecting the next generation of leaders in our country.
Wearing blue on Go Blue Day, April 3 is a symbol of awareness but it certainly doesn’t fix the problem. What we need is loving adults who care enough to step out of their comfort zones and invest in the life of a child.
-Allie Graves
Miss Texas’ Outstanding Teen
“Heroes don’t stay silent, they speak for the people who are”
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The Link below includes a sample proclamation, PSA, sample press release and social media postings. Outreach Material for Child Abuse Awareness Month
Resource Guide similar to the former Child Abuse Prevention Kit. (Chapter 5, Tips for Parents and Caregivers, beginning on page 50 are pages containing tip sheets on specific parenting issues. Spanish versions are provided for all resources in this section. Tip sheets are designed for service providers to distribute to parents and caregivers in the context of a particular concern or question)
