April is Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month. To help raise awareness, April 6th is Wear Blue Day. People around the country and our NBC26 team wore blue to call attention to the issue and show support of the local agencies that are working to prevent and protect children from abuse and neglect.
One of those organizations is Family and Childcare Resources of Northeast Wisconsin. They've launched a blue kite campaign this month. You can purchase a blue pin-up at area businesses for $1 a piece. 100% of the funds raised goes towards prevention programming in our community.
"We know that parenting is a tough job. Nobody comes home from the hospital with a binder knowing what to do for 18 years, so parents need that support from agencies such as ours but also community members in general," said Executive Director Paula Breese.
Last year, there were nearly 5,000 cases of abuse and neglect reported in Brown County.
Some of the warning signs of physical and emotional abuse include bruising, burns, cuts and children acting withdrawn or fearful.
Signs of neglect include children missing school often, poor hygiene or ilnesses that go untreated.
Experts say if you feel something is not right, report it to police or another professional right away. You can also call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-a-child. It's available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
