Never before has Child Abuse Prevention Month had a more significant meaning than it does this year. In a time a great uncertainty, the Human Services Council is taking a moment to stop and observe the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and applaud the efforts of our nationally accredited Child Advocacy Center, Children’s Connection that works tirelessly to bring public and private resources together to wrap around children and families who have suffered unthinkable abuse.
“Every day, I have the amazing honor of working side by side with the most professional partners: law enforcement, medical and mental health providers, child protection workers, and victim advocates to provide the highest quality of care to children who have been abused. We give children a chance to talk about what’s happened to them and then we work hard to hold the offenders accountable,” said Kari Pesavento, Children’s Connection Director. “This year is harder than ever. With the quarantine in place for COVID-19, we know that some kids are not in safe situations. They are not going to school so there is little or no contact with mandated reporters.” Now more than ever, community members need to check in on neighboring children.
If you see something that concerns you, call the CT Child protection Careline at 800-842-2288. They are there 24 hours a day/7 days a week to take calls of suspected abuse and neglect. Child protection doesn’t stop just because there’s a pandemic. Child abuse and neglect happen every day in every neighborhood. No community is immune. Each day, five children die unnecessarily from child abuse related causes. Parental drug and alcohol abuse are major child abuse risk factors.
Children’s Connection is working hard to meet the needs of clients during the Covid-19 Crisis. Supporting clients, providing trauma therapy via tele-health, and ensuring that our clients have the basic needs. We need your help to continue this vital work. Please consider making a donation. Visit www.hscct.org/donate today. If you would like more information about Children’s Connection or the work that we do surrounding child abuse and neglect, please contact Kari at (203) 354-1961, kpesavento@hscct.org or visit www.hscct.org.
