Right now our country is in crisis — a health, economic, and moral crisis. With the convergence of COVID-19, economic collapse, and exposed racism and oppression, the stress on our community and families living in vulnerable circumstances increases.
Family resiliency is tested every day with the extreme stressors of health concerns, isolation, job loss, and the difficulty of meeting basic family needs. The pandemic and its aftermath have laid bare institutional and systemic racism that cause health, safety, and economic disparities in communities of color.
Although children are not the face of the pandemic, they risk being amongst its biggest victims.
As family stress escalates so does the risk of child abuse. Now is the time for communities to come together to strengthen families. Because, when we build community and strengthen families, we protect children.
Building on our work, The Economics of Child Abuse: A Study of California & Its Counties, Safe & Sound has developed an interactive website that details the rates of child abuse and the economic impact of abuse on each community, as well as the factors within our communities that both help to protect children and that place them in greater risk. The information unveils the ongoing ills of child abuse underlying each community, and its impact on each one of us. The data is viewable by county or region, downloadable, and shareable so you too can join us in advocating for the safety of children.
Visit the Website
Right now, we have an opportunity to transform the way we nurture and invest in children, families, and communities. While we are all impacted by the current global challenges, it is incumbent upon us to ensure the safety of children, bring awareness to the detrimental effect this crisis is having on them, and help create a path to a brighter future for us all.
Please use this striking data to stand up, speak out, and create communities where every child has the opportunity to thrive.