Child Abuse Prevention Month
Science tells us that the experiences children have early in life build the architecture of their developing brains. Experiences of abuse and neglect damage this foundation and harm brain development. Healthy development happens in an environment of consistent and appropriate relationships, through caregivers’ responses to children’s needs. Healthy neural brain pathways are not built in the brains of children living in an environment of abuse and neglect.
Each year in Clatsop County, about 125 children are found to be victims of child abuse or neglect. The human and financial costs of child abuse are enormous – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently estimated that in the United States, the total lifetime financial cost associated with just one year of child maltreatment to be approximately $124 billion. These costs are preventable by connecting families to the community supports they need.
CASA Volunteers are the certainty for children experiencing the unknowns of foster care. Your donation will make a direct impact in the lives of foster children in Clatsop County. For just $1500 - you can give the gift of a consistent adult to advocate for the needs of one of these children.