For many children, August is the last hurrah of summer - the last moment to enjoy long, lazy days before school sets back in. But for many other children, summer is no different from the rest of the year. School may be out, but child abuse is not. A new study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that "rates of child abuse are steady throughout the year...." Seasonality of Child Abuse Could Be a Myth, an article featured in the Bloomberg Business Week, notes that if child abuse is a year-round problem, prevention must be a year-round effort - and intervention must also be a year-round effort.
We know child abuse exists year-round in every community; which is why National Children's Alliance is dedicated to providing training, support and leadership on a national level to ensure communities are equipped to respond to reports of child abuse and neglect. By facilitating coordinated investigations and intervention services through the multidisciplinary team approach and through children's advocacy centers, NCA and its member organizations around the country help communities ensure that children are not re-victimized by the very system designed to protect them.
Children's advocacy centers are community-based programs designed to meet the unique needs of the particular community in which it is located. National Children's Alliance offers membership to child advocacy centers that are recognized for having achieved a level of multidisciplinary collaboration and coordinated service delivery that significantly improves the experience and well being of children who are subject to child abuse intervention. As of June 6, 2010, NCA has 509 Accredited Members that are working in their communities to help prevent child abuse and offer child abuse victims the individualized services and support that they need and deserve.
So while we all enjoy the last days of summer, let's not forget--child abuse is a pervasive issue all year round. Our members are part of a larger network that works every day towards achieving an end, not just a vacation, from child abuse
For more information about National Children's Alliance and the national accreditation standards for children's advocacy centers, please visit www.nationalchildrensalliance.org.