April is child abuse awareness month

• Members of the Burnet County Child Welfare Board, Courtappointed Special Advocates (CASA) for the Highland Lakes and Hill Country Children's Advocacy Center are pictured here April 9 with Burnet County commissioners and county officials (back row) after the government body proclaimed April Child Abuse Awareness Month. Contributed photo

Burnet County Com- missioners Court joined area child advocacy groups to proclaim April as National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month.

“We all must work to- gether to protect our chil dren and prevent Child Abuse in our community, and the first step is to pro vide awareness and edu- cation to all," according to a statement from Burnet County Child Welfare Board. “The processes of prevention, action, and healing from the traumas of abuse are complex- and no one organization can do this alone.”

The Burnet County Child Welfare Board, the Hill Country Children's Advocacy Center and CASA for the Highland Lakes are all involved in protecting the most

vulnerable children in our community, officials shared.

“Our systems require involvement of many different professionals to in- vestigate, intervene and prosecute,” the statement continued.

During the court's April 9 regular meeting, officials shared more about their mission.

"While each organi - zation has a specific role, they are often misunderstood,” Child Welfare Board Spokeswoman Caroline Ragsdill offered in a statement to The Highlander. “In order to appreciate how important the month of April is for our children, it is helpful to understand each or- ganization's duties and those who stand at the front lines.”

The Burnet County Child Welfare Board is a group of volunteers, approved by the county commissioners, whose mission is to meet the needs of abused and neglected children in our county; and to assist Child Protective Services in aiding the children under their care.

This can range from clothing to beds and bedding, graduation expenses, college scholarships, driver’s ed fees and camp or band fees.

The Hill Country Children’s Advocacy Center provides specialized victim services (forensic interviews, medical exams, advocacy) and mental health care to children and their non-offending family members who have been traumatized by criminal levels of physical abuse, child fatalities or sexual abuse.

The HCCAC and their partners are the front-line responders to reports of child abuse. They use a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach to child abuse cases.

This Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) consists of 27 partner agencies and includes prosecutorial teams, law enforcement and Department of Family and Protective Services in- vestigators from all five counties in their coverage area, medical personnel, as well as HCCAC staff.

The center also provides Child Abuse Prevention Education to children grades pre-kindergarten through high school.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for the Highland Lakes Area are appointed by the court to advocate for children who come into the system primarily as a result of alleged abuse or neglect. To accomplish this, CASA staff recruits, trains, and supervises volunteers who give a child a voice in the courts. They also provide a lifeline to those children by helping them navigate the foster care system, until they are returned home and reunited with their family or are adopted by a new Forever Family. Unlike most CASA programs, the Highland Lakes Area proudly serves 100% of children removed from their homes.

“All three organizations try to increase awareness that the problem of abuse and neglect does exist in Burnet County and encourage responsibility in our community to care for these children – especially during National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month,” Ragsdill stated.

Both the Hill Country Children’s Advocacy Center and CASA for the Highland Lakes Area also serve the children of Burnet, Blanco, Llano, Lampasas and San Saba counties.

Though these organizations all work to ensure that no child falls through the cracks while they are experiencing the most vulnerable time in their lives, they need your help to be successful. State law requires any adult who suspects child abuse or neglect to report it. You can do so by calling the hotline at 1-800-2525400 or submitting a report online at dfps.texas. gov. If you fear a child is in immediate danger, please call 911.