Greetings, All.

This past weekend marked the first day of spring, and with it comes longer days, warmer temperatures, and feelings of hope. Although the world looks very different than it did a year ago and plenty of uncertainty remains, I’m optimistic about what lies ahead, primarily for two reasons: the American Rescue Plan Act and National Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month.

The American Rescue Plan Act includes numerous provisions that provide immediate support to children and families across the country. Among these provisions, the bill includes $150 million in Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) emergency funds and $250 million in Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) Title II emergency funds of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). This historic increase and investment in CBCAP represents a 400% increase in funding over the program’s FY 21 appropriation level. CBCAP has a long history of strong bipartisan support, and we are thrilled to see the investments made to this critical program.

I’m also looking forward to this year’s CAP Month. In collaboration with communications staff from more than 20 state chapters, for 2021 we developed a campaign that’s grounded in science and utilizes the metaphor of a garden to both evoke the hope and promise of springtime and clearly identify the contexts and conditions that enable children, families, and entire communities to thrive. Our 2021 campaign theme is “Growing a Better Tomorrow for All Children, Together,” with the primary message “Every day, we help positive childhood experiences take root.” Here are some dates to mark on your calendar, with opportunities for you and your local partners to get involved:

• April 1: Wear Blue Day—start CAP Month strong by wearing blue and showing your support for child abuse prevention and the essential work needed in communities across the country to ensure a better future for all children and families. Post a selfie on your social media channels and encourage your network to do the same…don’t forget to tag them #WearBlueDay2021 and #GrowingBetterTogether.

• April 8–10: “Faith and Flourishing in the Face of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Strategies for Prevention and Healing” symposium—co-hosted by the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard Divinity School, and The Catholic Project at Catholic University of America, this is a unique opportunity to engage virtually with religious leaders of diverse faith traditions to share experiences, discover new resources, and identify strategies we can implement together to prevent child sexual abuse and foster healing for survivors of abuse in their communities. Intended for faith leaders, public health practitioners, policy makers, child welfare advocates, and those working in education settings, the criminal justice system, health care organizations and the public health sector with an interest in child sexual abuse prevention and healing, all of whom can participate in a variety of daily, hour-long round table discussions. Participants who complete the program will receive a certificate of attendance from the Human Flourishing Program, at Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science. Registration for this symposium is free and open to the public.

• April 21: Digital Advocacy Day—make your voice heard and spread the word about important family-friendly policies, programs, and resources that are needed now more than ever. Join us and our sorority partners Kappa Delta and Sigma Delta Tau to contact your lawmakers via Twitter, Facebook, and email and urge them to act now to reauthorize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA).

• All of April—until we can plant pinwheels in person again, join us online and plant a pinwheel in our virtual pinwheel garden and show that you support the safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments that enable children, families, and entire communities to thrive.

Please join us throughout April in planting the seeds of a better tomorrow for children and families in our communities. Together, we can prevent child abuse, America…because childhood lasts a lifetime.

Warmest regards,

Dr. Melissa Merrick

President and CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America