Health department urges residents to prevent child abuse

HEALTH DEPARTMENT URGES RESIDENTS TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE

DUPAGE COUNTY—The DuPage County Health Department is using National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April to encourage parents to make DuPage County a better place for children and families.

By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help promote the social and emotional well-being of children and prevent child maltreatment within families and communities.

Research shows that when parents possess six protective factors, the risk for neglect and abuse diminish and there are better outcomes for children, youth, and families.

The Health Department urges parents to include these six protective factors in their interactions with children:

• Nurturing and attachment

• Knowledge of parenting, as well as child and youth development

• Parental resilience

• Social connections

• Concrete supports for parents

• Social and emotional well-being

April is a time to celebrate the important role that communities play in protecting children. Everyone's participation is critical. Focusing on ways to build and promote the protective factors, in every interaction with children and families, is the best thing our community can do to prevent child maltreatment and promote optimal child development.

For more information on the DuPage County Health Department, follow us on Twitter @DuPageHD or become a fan on Facebook.

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