The Together Project is a Fort Worth Moms Blog initiative to support local non-profits impacting women and children in North Texas and to mobilize FWMB readers to meet immediate needs. We are honored to partner with Alliance For Children, who work to prevent child abuse in Tarrant County and to assist children who’ve endured abuse. Together — because your family is my family.
Child abuse does not discriminate. Abuse affects children of all socioeconomic statuses, ethnicities, genders, religions, and demographics. In knowing this, Alliance for Children seeks to provide prevention education to youth and adults in Tarrant County. Last year alone, Alliance For Children educated more than 56,000 children.
Fortunately, child abuse is preventable. There are steps we can take as a community to better protect children from harm.
- Communicate with your child. Taking with your child and listening to what he or she has to say are the first steps in preventing abuse. Discussing appropriate boundaries is vital. By talking openly about boundaries, it is more likely your child will come to you to disclose potential abuse.
- Know those that have contact with your child. Ninety percent of the time, an abuser is someone the child or family knows and trusts.
- Minimize opportunities. Avoid one-on-one adult/child situations. Drop in on situations where your child may be alone with another adult, even a close family member.
- Recognize the signs. Don’t expect obvious signs when a child is being abused. With sexual abuse, physical signs are not common, but changes in behavior may indicate a problem.
- Monitor your child’s Internet and cell phone use. Offenders often use the web and text messaging to lure children and teens into physical contact. Know what apps and websites your child uses, especially those with chat features. Talk to your children about keeping their accounts private and not disclosing personal information on their profiles.
- React responsibly. Be prepared to react responsibly if a child discloses abuse to you, or if you suspect or see that boundaries have been violated. Avoid denial, provide a confidential environment for the child, and reassure him or her. Listen to the child and avoid asking a lot of questions. Most importantly, make a report. Texas State Law requires that anyone “having cause to believe that a child’s physical, mental health or welfare has been or may be adversely affected by abuse or neglect” (Texas Family Code, chapter 261) must report the cause immediately. To report suspected child abuse, call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400.
- Educate your child. Teach your children about their bodies and the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touches. They should also know that inappropriate touches could occur with strangers, a family member, an adult friend, or an older youth. Teach your children that they have the right to say “no” to touches, and it is okay to tell another safe adult.
- Educate yourself. Sign up to take a free Stewards of Children® training class through Alliance For Children.
Let’s Meet These Needs!
Fort Worth Moms Blog owner Emily Y sat down with Julie, the executive director at Alliance For Children, to discuss practical, tangible ways FWMB readers could support and meet immediate needs.
You can purchase these items from the Alliance For Children Amazon Wish List to have them shipped directly to their centers. You are also welcome to purchase these items — maybe even with your kiddos — and deliver directly to any of the Alliance For Children offices located throughout Tarrant County. The needed items are:
Graduation Baskets
- gift baskets
- Play-dough
- Journals (children and adult)
- Bubbles
- Blankets
- Water bottles
- Jump rope
- Coloring books
- Adult coloring books
- Crayons/markers/color pencils/colorful pens
Summer Art Therapy Camp
- 12 x 16 canvases
- 18 x 24 canvases
- Plastic face masks
- Max Lucado book, You Are Special
- Acrylic paint
- Hot glue gun & glue sticks
- Paint brushes
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Alliance For Children did not need to spend one dollar on these supplies because Tarrant area moms met these needs??? Please let us know if you are participating in this good cause by tagging us on social media (@fortworthmomsblog or @fwmomsblog) and letting us know about your donation! Share a pic!
Julia Braun currently works as the public relations/marketing coordinator for Alliance For Children. When she isn’t working on promotional materials for the agency or getting the word out about Alliance for Children’s mission, she’s likely studying for her master’s degree in mental health counseling. Julia enjoys spending time with her husband and traveling.
The mission of Alliance For Children is to protect Tarrant County children from child abuse through teamed investigations, healing services, and community education. Since 1992, Alliance For Children has served more than 52,000 Tarrant County child abuse victims and their families. One major initiative of Alliance For Children is to lessen the trauma that a child and family faces when abuse occurs by providing healing services and support. For more information regarding Alliance For Children and prevention tips, please visit allianceforchildren.org.
