Archives

"Pedal for Prevention" Rolls Through Idaho

Public News Service-ID September 22, 2010

BOISE, Idaho - The Gem State is playing host to the "Pedal for Prevention" team this week. Three men are riding bicycles across the country to raise awareness about preventing child sexual abuse. They started in South Carolina in late July and are in Pocatello, Burley, Mountain Home and Boise this week.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories:

Pocatello, Idaho

Local News 8: Pedaling For Prevention In Pocatello

KPVI News 6: Group Pedals to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Children

Olympic Medalist Skates through Boise

Pinwheels Blooming Statewide

This year you won’t need to wait until May for April showers to bring results in Idaho. Beginning April 1st, pinwheel “gardens” and bouquets will be blooming in communities from Bonner’s Ferry to Rexburg as a symbol of child abuse prevention. The pinwheels are part of a national campaign organized by Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA) to raise awareness that child abuse can be prevented. The Idaho Children’s Trust Fund is the Idaho chapter of PCAA and is coordinating activities throughout the state. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.

“We want to make pinwheels as visible and recognizable as pink ribbons or yellow wristbands,” said Roger Sherman, Executive Director of the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund. “The pinwheel represents carefree fun. They symbolize our hope that all children will have happy, healthy childhoods—free from abuse or neglect.”

Organizations throughout the state are raising awareness through a variety of activities from training sessions and presentations to exhibitions and community events. In Coeur d’Alene, a local coalition is bringing in Jason Sabo from Texas to train in advocacy. In Rexburg, the entrance to the city will be lined with pinwheels. At the Mountain Home Air Force Base they are holding a “Steps to Stop Violence” 5K Fun Run. Hospitals in north central Idaho are taking the lead in educating people on how to prevent shaken baby syndrome.

Olympic speed skating double medalist, JR Celski, will be at Idaho Ice World in Boise on April 10th in support of strengthening families and preventing child abuse. (Calendar with more events attached).

“Idaho has been rocked by high profile child abuse cases this year,” Sherman said. “Child Abuse Prevention Month or what some states are calling Strengthening Families Month, gives us a chance to educate people on what steps they can take to support families and prevent abuse from ever occurring. Small actions can make a big difference.”

Sherman suggests calling the Idaho Careline, 2-1-1, for information about local resources for children and families.

For more information contact: Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, 386-9317.

Trust Fund in the News

Trust Fund in the News February 24, 2008

Trust Fund in the News January 30, 2008

Strengthening families is all or our business, oped by Roger Sherman and James Herrmann

Report: Five US children die every day from abuse

CDAPress.com Posted: Tuesday, Oct 20, 2009 - 11:27:40 pm PDT
By ALECIA WARREN
Staff writer

SHAWN GUST/Press Shannon Cervenka, who was abused as a child, credits ICARE for helping teach her important parenting skills that benefit both her and 4-year-old daughter Julia Melvin.

ICARE classes teach proper parenting skills

Raising a little girl was a mystery to Shannon Cervenka.

Even at 4 years old, Julia was different than the boys Shannon had brought up before, with tantrums and attitude the mother couldn't control.

"I was like, 'How do I deal with her talking back to me? My boys never talked back to me,'" said Shannon, who was already struggling to piece her life back together in transitional housing in Coeur d'Alene. "Her emotions, her anger -- I thought, 'This is killing me.'"

All she knew was that she didn't want to beat her daughter the way Shannon had been by her own parents.

"I didn't know how to discipline her," Shannon said. "I knew my parents were wrong, and I wanted to do it the right way."

And after learning proper parenting skills through the ICARE children and advocacy center, she could declare this week: "I've never beat my daughter."

Click here to read the full article.

Strengthening Families is all of our Business

As the organization in the state designated to lead efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect, the Idaho Children's Trust Fund focuses primarily on how we can strengthen families so that parents have the tools they need to raise healthy, happy children and to discipline without abuse. The recent incident involving the Farrell family at the Fourth of July parade raises lots of questions about our responsibility to each other. We may never know the facts of this situation, but what we do know is that all of our families need help sometimes. This would be a good opportunity to reach out. Not just to Rob and Melissa but to our neighbors, to our friends, and the folks at church. It is stressful having kids and especially having three toddlers at once. If you don't have young children now, think back. Parental stress is responsible for most abuse. Over 80% of child abuse and neglect is committed by parents. Very few people wake up thinking that they are going to abuse their children today. Instead life happens. We lose a job. We're embarrassed about how our kids are acting in public. We're fighting with our spouse. The boss is on my case. And then, we lose it. It can happen to anyone given enough pressure. Are there many of us who can say that we never felt like wringing our kid's neck? We just didn't do it. Discipline is important; abuse and violence towards our children is completely unacceptable. So what do families need to create the best environment possible for raising their children? Research tells us that building five protective factors immunizes families against child abuse. These factors are:

1. Having an ability to bounce back from stress or crisis.

2. Having social connections and especially having at least one person who supports your parenting.

3. Having knowledge of parenting and child development. We really arent born with complete knowledge or skills and we may not have gotten the best training from our own parents.

4. Having access to resources to meet basic needs when you need them. Family stress is often caused by financial distress and an inability to meet the needs of the family.

5. Supporting the social and emotional competence of your children so that they feel loved, like they belong and that they can get along with others. This becomes even more important when a child has special needs of any kind.

You can help cultivate these qualities in your own family and you can support your friends. Take a parenting class. Join a support group or help form one. Have a disciplinary plan and learn the skills to implement it; it will go a long way towards eliminating abuse in our homes.