KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, meant to recognize the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect.
Many organizations work in East Tennessee to advocate for children and to prevent child abuse. One of those organizations is Childhelp, which tries to meet the "physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs" of at-risk children and survivors of abuse.
They said last year, they served around 1,600 children through forensic interviews, victim advocacy, medical exams and counseling services.
"We're going to remember that we still lose five children every single day. At the end of this month, it'd be like putting 150 kids on a plane and that plane crashing. And we just kind of shrug our shoulders and say, 'Okay, what's next?' And we do that month, after month, after month," said Eddie Smith, who works with Childhelp.
Anyone who wants to learn more about how they can prevent child abuse can find more information online. Steps include supporting organizations that serve survivors and staying vigilant of signs of child abuse. Taking steps to make family assistance more available could also prevent child abuse, according to advocacy organizations.
According to releases from advocacy organizations, policies that address household financial security are also effective at reducing child abuse and neglect.
"When parents are financially secure, it is easier for them to provide for their children's basic needs, offer safe and nurturing care, and experience good physical and mental health themselves," according to conversation guides from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.