Health department tips for how you can help prevent child abuse and neglect
April 18, 2025
Launch the media gallery 1 playerIn observance of April’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month, South Heartland District Health Department (SHDHD) is encouraging community members to learn what steps they can take to help great childhoods happen.
“Everyone has a role to play in preventing child abuse and neglect,” said Tami Marcello, Nurse Supervisor for SHDHD’s Healthy Families home visiting program. “Did you know that when you mentor a child or parent, advocate for policies that support the next generation, or donate time or money to local child-serving organizations, you are actually helping prevent child abuse and neglect? Each of us has the ability to help children and families in our neighborhoods,” she said.
Child abuse and neglect is maltreatment of a child from birth through age 17. Maltreatment includes physical abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, medical neglect, sexual abuse and sex trafficking.
“The most current Nebraska statistics cite 2,892 substantiated child victims of abuse/neglect in 2023. Two-hundred fifty-four (254) of these are in the 25-county central Nebraska region, which includes the four counties in our health district,” stated Michele Bever, SHDHD’s Executive Director. “There are ways you can make a difference. There are ways to work together to strengthen families and protect our kiddos so that more have great childhoods.”
Providing for positive childhood experiences (PCEs) is one way to buffer the effects of adverse childhood experiences, commonly known as ACEs, according to a 2024 CDC report.
“When we provide positive childhood experiences, meaning experiences that give children safe, stable, nurturing environments, and when we promote adult mental health and healthy relationships, we are impacting children’s critical early years and, ultimately, impacting their future successes. In fact, many people are already playing a role in preventing child abuse and creating great childhoods in their communities, they just don’t realize it,” Bever said.
“When you take time to be a good neighbor; or offer to baby-sit; or donate used children’s clothing, furniture and toys for another family; or when you are kind and supportive to new parents; or when you are active in community programs and services that help families and children… all of these efforts help parents and families have access to the support, information and services they need to succeed,” shared Marcello.
There are numerous local organizations with efforts to give parents and families the support they need to help great childhoods happen. SHDHD offers a free and voluntary in-home relationship-based service, called Healthy Families Nebraska Heartland, for brand new mothers of infants up to three months or for low-income residents of our district who are pregnant. SHDHD’s work is designed to promote positive parent-child interactions, create healthy parent-child attachment, and build confidence in new parents. SHDHD also offers Circle of Security parenting classes.
For more information about ways to provide positive childhood experiences and support local community efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect, contact the South Heartland District Health Department: 1-877-238-7595 or visit southheartlandhealth.ne.gov.
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