There are nearly 18,000 children in Arizona who have been removed from their homes, mainly due to abuse and neglect.
Supporting these children and finding them safe, forever homes is the top priority, but it is also important to understand how Arizona’s Child Welfare System reached this critical state and determine how to ensure it never happens again. One of the ways to reduce the number of children entering the system is to focus on prevention education and services.
The Department of Child Safety (DCS) funds statewide Regional Child Abuse Prevention Councils. Healthy Options for Parents through Education (HOPE) is the East Valley council comprised of professionals and community volunteers. The focus of the HOPE council is to increase public awareness of child abuse prevention. Child Crisis Arizona has been a member of the HOPE council since 1990 to help prevent child abuse through education, advocacy, and public awareness. The HOPE council is comprised of 10 active members, including two Child Crisis Arizona staff.
HOPE campaigns were designed to increase education and awareness of parents, caregivers, and professionals about a variety of topics that increase child safety, strengthen knowledge of child development and improve parent/child relationships and communication.
One of the main efforts of the HOPE council is to educate parents and caregivers in ways to prevent child abuse. The council created HOPE campaigns, informational flyers in English and Spanish on a variety of topics, as a way to get information into the hands of parents and caregivers. More than 6,000 HOPE campaign flyers are distributed each year at community and networking events, resource tables, DCS offices and are included in Child Crisis Center/Crisis Nursery, Inc.’s monthly prevention and education newsletter. These HOPE campaign flyers give parents and caregivers information they can keep and refer to during difficult times.
“HOPE campaigns were designed to increase education and awareness of parents, caregivers, and professionals about a variety of topics that increase child safety, strengthen knowledge of child development and improve parent/child relationships and communication,” says Heather Rennells Alfrey, HOPE chair and program director at Child Crisis Arizona. “HOPE campaign topics have been determined by council members assessing the most relevant and helpful topics for parents and caregivers to be aware of to keep children safe and healthy,” continues Alfrey.
For additional information on the HOPE council or HOPE campaigns, email Heather Rennells Alfrey at heather.alfrey@childcrisisaz.org.
