Child Abuse Prevention Month Highlights the Importance of Education

The blue pinwheels at the George L. Gordon, Jr., Government Center signify the "pinwheels of possibility" when you keep families at the center of child abuse prevention. Investing in and educating families early and often creates more favorable conditions for children to grow up safely. Abuse does not have to be a cycle. Educating families about prevention by restricting access to guns, controlled substances and harmful bedding materials can prevent negligence and accidents.

"Our goal in Social Services is to support families and strengthen them before a crisis occurs," said Director of Stafford County Social Services Michael Muse. "We help create conditions where children can thrive by making sure parents are educated on what a safe, stable and nurturing environment looks like."

Virginia social services departments are focusing on three issues this year to help educate and prevent child abuse and negligence: safe sleep, gun safety, and controlled substance safety.

Unsafe sleep is the leading cause of non-natural death in Virginia. Parents and caregivers should recognize and avoid practices that place infants at risk. Here are tips for safe sleeping:

• Lay your baby on their back for every sleep
• Use a firm, child-appropriate sleep surface - not a couch or adult bed
• Room share without bed-sharing - bring a crib or bassinet into the room
• No soft objects or loose bedding in the crib - no stuffed animals, toys, blankets or pillows
• Place your baby to sleep in environment appropriate clothing - no greater than one layer more than you would wear

Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens (ages 1-17) in Virginia. If you have a firearm in your home, it is crucial to ensure appropriate supervision, safety and storage to reduce the risk of injury or death.

• Speak up - Teach children about the risk of injury or death from firearms and to leave found firearms alone and notify an adult.
• Safe Storage - Store unloaded firearms in a locked safe or box separate from ammunition.
• Supervise - Consider removing firearms from the home if a family member experiences increased mental health issues. As a parent or caregiver, always ask about access to unsecured firearms when children are visiting someone else's home.

Drug overdoses among adults in Virginia are going down but at the same time, fatalities among children due to controlled substances are rising. Preventing the exposure of children to controlled substances is very similar to tips for preventing gun exposure.

• Teach your children about medicine safety - drugs are not candy and only an adult can give it to them.
• Never leave medicine out in the open. Store it in a place where children cannot reach or see it. Make sure to use safety caps.
• Make sure visitors to your home keep anything that may have meds in it up and away and out of sight when they are in your home.

Resources and assistance may be found at https://www.staffordcountyva.gov/socialservices.