Resilient Communities Build Strong Children

Since 1982, April has been recognized as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.  Every April, communities are encouraged to increase awareness and provide education and support to families through resources and strategies to prevent child abuse and neglect. It is a time to acknowledge the importance of families and communities working together to promote the social and emotional well-being of children and families.  

This year, Nurture the Next is using the theme “Resilient Communities Build Strong Children” to raise awareness about the ways people and communities can work together to build a better future for our children. As the past two years have shown us, our local communities are the bedrock of our society and an important pillar of support for families. That’s why we not only want to celebrate these resilient communities across Tennessee but also talk about the important role they play in protecting children.  

It’s important to understand the scope of the issue to highlight just how essential strong communities are to families and children. 

Tragically, the United States has one of the worst records on this issue among industrialized nations—losing on average five children every day to child abuse and neglect. In 2019 alone, state agencies across the country confirmed over 656,000 victims of child maltreatment. It’s heartbreaking to think this horrific treatment of children takes place in our own towns and communities. Last year, there were 72,805 cases of child abuse reported in Tennessee. Clearly there is more work that must be done to better serve children now and to shield future generations from the scourge of child abuse and neglect.  

That’s where communities play their crucial role.  

In our work, we use six protective factors to determine how successful individuals, families, or communities are at reducing risk and promoting the healthy development and wellbeing of children and families. The six factors are: 

1. Parental resilience  

2. Social support and connections 

3. Knowledge of parenting and child development  

4. Concrete support in times of need 

5. Nurturing and attachment  

6. Social and emotional competence of children  

These protective factors are the foundation of healthy child development, unleashing our children to reach their full potential and achieve their dreams.  

Strong communities provide extra layers of support and this additional assistance and feeling of belonging is critical for young families. Parents who feel alone and isolated can struggle to take care of themselves which may leave them with little to give to their children. A family going through tough times is only going to feel those stings more acutely if they feel helplessly alone in their struggle. We all need support—and this is especially true for those starting off their parenting journey. 

In communities that support parents and lift up families, children grow up feeling seen, valued, and appreciated. They feel important connections to the people who live around them. Children who grow up in supportive communities become adults who also look out for the people in their community. They will model the behavior that they saw growing up.  

Nurture the Next believes that all adults are responsible for protecting children. In fact, in Tennessee, every single person over the age of 18 years old is a mandated reporter of child abuse and neglect. That means all Tennesseans have a legal responsibility—not just a moral one—to do the right thing and keep children safe. 

There is no greater investment for our future prosperity than our children. Their success is our success. These children will grow up to become our doctors and teachers, scientists and artists, service members and small business owners, political leaders, and community advocates. There is no thriving future for us if we do not collectively lift our children up and help them achieve. 

Strong communities and strong families go together. When we make strong investments in our children today, it helps everyone thrive—our communities grow stronger, our children grow more resilient, and our shared future becomes brighter.  

We hope you will share our messages on social media and with your friends this April—and help us build resilient communities and grow strong children.