April was first declared Child Abuse Prevention Month by presidential proclamation in 1983. Since then, April has been a time to acknowledge the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse.  The majority of child abuse cases stemmed from situations and conditions that can be preventable when community programs and systems are engaged and supportive. A community that cares about early childhood development, parental support, and maternal mental health, for instance, is more likely to foster nurturing families and healthy children. 

In SFY 2014: • Child Protective Services workers investigated 33,221 reports of child maltreatment. • 906 adoptions were finalized. • At the end of SFY 2014 there were 8,620 children in foster care. (Stats provided by http://tinyurl.com/p5qsrbk) 

A body of research has identified factors known to prevent and reduce child abuse and neglect. These factors—including parental resilience, nurturing and attachment, social connections, knowledge about parenting and child development, social and emotional competence of children, and concrete supports for parents—are outlined in Preventing Child Maltreatment and Promoting Well-Being: A Network for Action 2015 Resource Guide, also developed by the Children's Bureau.