Cherishing Our Children - The Villages

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~ Cherishing the Mission of ~
Mission
As a Division of The Villages, Prevent Child Abuse Indiana serves as a catalyst for preventing child
abuse in all its forms and thereby enhancing the quality of life for children and families in Indiana.
Joining Forces
Much of 2007 was spent on developing a shared relationship with The Villages, designed to strengthen
and sustain the critical mission of Prevent Child Abuse. In March, Prevent Child Abuse Indiana
joined The Villages as a separate division, while retaining its name, mission and role as a chapter
of Prevent Child Abuse America. Together with The Villages, PCAI has continued to seek strategic
partnerships and collaborations providing the Kids’ First Trust Fund Board and the Indiana Department
of Child Services with the best “return on investment” of contract dollars. Additionally, the merger
strengthened the visibility of PCAI through The Villages’ strong relationship with Healthy Families
America and Prevent Child Abuse America.
Creating Urgency
Child welfare concerns in Indiana escalated to a state of crisis in 2007. The growing number of
heartbreaking child abuse and neglect stories that made headlines illustrated an urgent need for
parental support and intervention for at-risk families. Prevent Child Abuse Indiana championed a
“think-tank” of solution-minded community leaders to work together on a new initiative called “Kids
Can’t Wait,” designed to start a dialogue and community conversation to engage a broad number of
vital stakeholders in this critical issue.
Championing Children
Prevent Child Abuse Indiana continues to support its mission of preventing child abuse and
enhancing the quality of life for children and families in Indiana in several ways:
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Education: Prevent Child Abuse Indiana works diligently to educate and empower parents and
the general public by offering prevention education programs for a variety of audiences. Through
educational conferences, workshops, presentations and special events, PCAI is sharing the
important message that child abuse is preventable.
Advocacy: Prevent Child Abuse Indiana continues to be a leading statewide voice advocating for
laws, policies and programs that prevent child abuse. In 2007, PCAI advocated throughout the
state by speaking to community officials, state-level elected officials and federal policy-makers,
ensuring that children in Indiana have a voice and that their needs are being met.
Chartered Councils: Prevent Child Abuse Indiana believes the most effective approach to
reducing child abuse and neglect is to maintain a statewide network of volunteers to work on
behalf of child abuse prevention in communities throughout Indiana. In 2007, Chartered Councils
ensured that there is a unified and continuous voice advocating for child abuse prevention
services and programs throughout Indiana.
Public Awareness: Prevent Child Abuse Indiana continues to serve as the primary information
resource on child abuse prevention for public officials, professionals, the media and the general
public. April’s Child Abuse Prevention Month, “Cherish the Children,” provided an opportunity to
raise awareness about child abuse and neglect and encouraged individuals and communities to
support Hoosier children and families.