u003cpu003eu003ca href=u0022https://pcaaz.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Mandated-Supporters.jpgu0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022wp-image-9933 alignrightu0022 src=u0022https://pcaaz.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Mandated-Supporters.jpgu0022 alt=u0022u0022 width=u0022200u0022 height=u0022313u0022 /u003eu003c/au003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eClaire Louge, July 7, 2020u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eA lot of people are concerned with the decline in calls to the DCS hotline since the pandemic began. They are worried that kids are unsafe at home and, because they have less contact with other protective adults in the community, their situations are going unreported. u003cstrongu003eHow do we make sure these cases are reported to DCS?u003c/strongu003e That’s a question I hear a lot.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eI get it. I’m concerned too. But if you share this concern, I have another question for you.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu003cstrongu003eHow can you support families in your community so that abuse/neglect doesn’t happen in the first place?u003c/strongu003e Why do we need to wait for abuse to happen before we act?u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eWhat if we considered ourselves not just mandated u003cemu003ereportersu003c/emu003e, but also mandated u003cemu003esupportersu003c/emu003e? u003cstrongu003eWhat if we got ahead of the problem of child abuse?u003c/strongu003e What if we considered it our duty, as community members, to support families the best we can so that they can support children the best they can?u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eCall me a dreamer, but I think the world is waking up to the fact that we can’t stop a problem just by dealing with its consequences. We’re having historic discussions right now about how to solve problems by addressing their roots.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eI want to do that with child abuse.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eWe know some of the conditions that lead to child abuse are:u003c/pu003ernu003culu003erntu003cliu003elack of parent coping skillsu003c/liu003erntu003cliu003esocial isolationu003c/liu003erntu003cliu003elack of parenting knowledgeu003c/liu003erntu003cliu003elack of resourcesu003c/liu003ernu003c/ulu003ernu003cpu003eAnd there are numerous disadvantages that lead to those conditions, like historical trauma, distrust in systems, a lot of shame around asking for help, and generational poverty, to name a few.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eSo how do we, as individuals, address those issues? We start with where we are, and who we are. We connect with the families in our community. u003cstrongu003eWe give ourselves the mandate to be supporters.u003c/strongu003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eIt’s going to feel a bit awkward to do this. Why? Because we’re not used to meeting our neighbors anymore. We drive into our garages or walk through our apartment doors without making eye contact with anyone around us. We don’t have time, or we don’t want to bother anyone, or we just don’t know how.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eA couple of weeks ago, I decided that if I was going to encourage people to reach out to the families in their community, I had to walk my talk. I live in an apartment complex, and back in January, a family moved into the apartment next to mine. I knew from the cadence of the crying I occasionally heard that they had a very new infant. I had never introduced myself. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to bother them. I didn’t want to be awkward. But u003cstrongu003edealing with this discomfort is the work,u003c/strongu003e so I wrote them a note introducing my partner and I. I gave them our numbers and told them that if they ever needed anything, we were right next door.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eThey texted me the next day, thanking me for the note. We talked about where we were both from, and what we did for a living. We have since met officially in the parking lot. They have two of the most adorable children I have ever seen in my life. And do you know what I realized? Although my intention was to support their sense of connection, getting to know them wound up benefiting me. u003cemu003eIu003c/emu003e feel more connected. This isn’t just about supporting families; it's about building community, and that’s good for all of us.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eWhat about you? What can you do to support families, where you are?u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eTo get some ideas, u003ca href=u0022https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LkXoagzWTxS9WMkb7K_L6Qu0022u003eu003cstrongu003ejoin us for our free webinar on July 30 @ 10am – “Strengthening Families to Prevent Child Adversity: Strategies for Actionu003c/strongu003eu003c/au003eu003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eu0026nbsp;u003c/pu003e
