ChildSafe, the only child advocacy center in Bexar County, said the Cardboard Kids Campaign starts a much-needed conversation everyone should be a part of.

Read the Full Story: https://www.ksat.com/news/cardboard-kids-campaign-aims-to-raise-awareness-of-child-abuse-neglect

The post Cardboard Kids Campaign aims to raise awareness of child abuse, neglect appeared first on ChildSafe®.

Citizens are asked to join in this effort by:

Pick up a Cardboard Kid. Decorate the Cardboard Kid while talking to your kids about child abuse and personal safety. The Cardboard Kids’ website has tips for how to talk to children about personal boundaries and safety.

On April 6, take your Cardboard Kid wherever you go and display it in a prominent spot. Take a photo of your Cardboard Kid, or any others you see in the community April 6, and share it on social media using #cardboardkidsSA to begin a dialogue about this pressing issue.

In addition, ChildSafe will be showcasing InfoKids, Cardboard Kids cutouts showcasing a startling national statistic that also is valid in San Antonio: 5 children die of child abuse every day in the U.S.

The most recent report related to child abuse statistics provided by Texas Department of Family and Protective Services for 2016 confirmed the number of children suffering from maltreatment to be 4,550 in Bexar County. There were ten child deaths due to child abuse and neglect in that same year.

To learn more about Cardboard Kids, visit www.cardboardkidsSA.com. Anyone can be a part of this campaign!

The post Cardboard Kids appeared first on ChildSafe®.

They will be distributed free to the public in February and March at the following locations:

San Antonio Rodeo: Feb. 11 – Feb. 14, under the Y-100 Radio tent, during rodeo hours.

San Antonio Area Malls, March 11-13 and March 18 – 20:

Fridays 1 pm – 6 pm; Saturdays 10 am – 6 pm, and Sundays – noon to 5 pm.

Ingram Park Mall – lower level outside of Dillard’s

North Star Mall – lower level under the escalators leading up to the Food Court

Rolling Oaks Mall – lower lever center court near Guest Services

The Shops at La Cantera – center court on the compass star

More than 20,000 Cardboard Kids were distributed last year, representing the thousands of abused and neglected children in our community. ChildSafe hopes to double the number of Cardboard Kids displayed during this year’s campaign, made possible by the generous support of Valero Energy Foundation.

Citizens are asked to join in this effort by:

Pick up a Cardboard Kid at the San Antonio Rodeo or an area mall during a distribution weekend. Decorate the Cardboard Kid while talking to your kids about child abuse and personal safety. The Cardboard Kids’ website has tips for how to talk to children about personal boundaries and safety.

On April 7, take your Cardboard Kid wherever you go and display it in a prominent spot. Take a photo of your Cardboard Kid, or any others you see in the community April 7, and share it on social media using #cardboardkidsSA to begin a dialogue about this pressing issue.

In addition, ChildSafe will be showcasing InfoKids, Cardboard Kids cutouts showcasing a startling national statistic that also is valid in San Antonio: 5 children die of child abuse every day in the U.S.

The most recent report related to child abuse statistics provided by Texas Department of Family and Protective Services for 2015 confirmed the number of children suffering from maltreatment to be 4,941 in Bexar County. There were four child deaths due to child abuse and neglect in that same year.

To learn more about Cardboard Kids, visit www.cardboardkidsSA.com. Anyone can be a part of this campaign!

The post Cardboard Kids Distribution appeared first on ChildSafe®.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and, just like last year, San Antonio will soon be inundated with thousands of tangible reminders that kids need to be kept safe — and that doing so is the responsibility of the community.

In a program developed by ChildSafe and sponsored this year by Valero Energy Corp., more than 20,000 decorated Cardboard Kids are being placed across the city, at businesses, schools, nonprofits and other organizations, to raise awareness about the need to detect and prevent child abuse and neglect.

“Too many children grow up in homes where they live in fear,” said Kim Abernethy, president, and CEO of ChildSafe, a child advocacy center that assesses and treats children who’ve experienced maltreatment. “They don’t have the opportunity to be real children.”

At a Thursday news conference at Brackenridge Park, under a pavilion next to a playground where the joyous voices of kids playing could be heard, local and state officials spoke of the need to protect children.

LOCAL

 
“This (Cardboard Kids) campaign is so important, because the community can become numb to abuse and neglect,” said District Attorney Nico LaHood, who made child abuse prevention the centerpiece of his successful campaign against incumbent Susan Reed. “But for children, it’s real. Children don’t choose to be born to parents who abuse them. They’re stuck with it.”

LaHood said “talk is cheap” and that it’s up to everyone — law enforcement, schools, child welfare workers and just ordinary residents — to take part in campaigns such as Cardboard Kids, learn the signs of abuse and neglect, and be willing to report it.

The Cardboard Kids campaign has a heavy social media element, Abernethy said, with folks blogging about it and posting photos of Cardboard Kid sightings on FaceBook and Twitter under the hashtag #cardboardkidsSA.

Retired Judge John Specia, head of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, said that each year the state receives more than 200,000 calls reporting possible abuse and neglect and cares for more than 28,000 kids in state custody who’ve been removed from parents because of danger.

“We need more prevention, because I want to put myself out of business,” he told those gathered. “People not only need to report abuse or neglect when they suspect it, they need to reach out to families in need, to let these children know they’re not alone.”

In fiscal 2014, there were 5,434 confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect in Bexar County and 12 child fatalities. Statewide, 151 children died at the hands of caregivers.

Abernethy said ChildSafe provides services to about 4,200 children and nonoffending parents a year. Three out of four of those children have been sexually abused, she said.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” she said, referring to the fight against child maltreatment. “We must take ownership of this issue and break the silence.”

Originally published on April 9, 2015 by San Antonio Express-News
Article By Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje
Photos: Edward A. Ornelas, Staff / San Antonio Express-News

The post Have you seen a Cardboard Kid yet? appeared first on ChildSafe®.

The post Cardboard Kids Campaign gears up for 2015 appeared first on ChildSafe®.