Light Up Blue

Illuminate Your Commitment to Raising Awareness About Child Abuse

Join the Family Nurturing Center

In participating in Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month

Cincinnati Skyline 2023
Cincinnati Skyline 2023

As we approach the month of April, we have a unique opportunity to stand together in solidarity for a cause that profoundly affects our communities—Prevent Child Abuse Awareness Month.

The month of April serves as a crucial reminder of our responsibility to protect and nurture the children around us, ensuring they grow up in safe and supportive environments. We invite you to join the Family Nurturing Center in raising awareness by lighting up your facilities with blue lights and incorporating blue decorations throughout your spaces. The color blue symbolizes hope and support, and your participation will help illuminate the conversation surrounding child abuse prevention.

Here are a few ways your organization can get involved:

  • Light Up Your Space: Replace your regular lighting with blue bulbs or add blue spotlights to your exterior. This simple yet impactful gesture will make a statement and spark conversations within your community.
  • Decorate in Blue: Incorporate blue ribbons, banners, and other decorations in and around your facilities. Share photos on social media with the hashtag #FamilyNurturingCenterBlue4Kids to amplify our message and inspire others to take part.
  • Engage Your Team: Encourage your staff and volunteers to wear blue throughout the month. Host FREE Stewards of Children training sessions provided by the Family Nurturing Center on child abuse prevention to foster a culture of awareness and support.
  • Spread the Word: Share information about child abuse prevention resources with your network. Knowledge is a powerful tool in safeguarding our children.
  • Host fund raising events to support the Family Nurturing Center and the work they do.
Blue Ribbon Ceremony 2023

By shining a light on this important issue, we can foster awareness and promote a collective commitment to protecting our children. Let’s work together to make April a month of hope and action.

Let me know if I can put your organization on the list of participants Illuminating Your Commitment to Raising Awareness About Child Abuse in April.  We can provide you with information to share with your team and the people you serve.  And we will promote that you have supported bringing awareness to this vital cause. Together, we can make a difference!

Thank YOU,

Debby Shipp

[email protected]

(859)835-6003

Family Nurturing Center

April Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is recognized around the world as Child Abuse Prevention Month. The blue ribbon is the symbol for child abuse prevention.

 

In 1989 following the death of her grandson at hands of his parent, a grandmother tied a blue ribbon on the antenna of her car to alert the community on issue of child abuse.

Family Nurturing Center promotes the Blue Ribbon Campaign as a community awareness and education prevention campaign to recognize our collective responsibility to prevent and confront all forms of child abuse and neglect.

Child abuse is entirely preventable, but not without your help. 

Blue Ribbon Trees and Pinwheels for Prevention

Learn all the ways you can promote awareness.

Wear Blue Day in Ohio and Kentucky

Take a selfie for Wear Blue Day and share with your social media friends.

Blue Sunday on April 28, 2024

Read how your church can join this international day of prayer.

2024 Children’s Art Contest

The winning entry will be displayed by TANK for the month of April!

2024 Children’s Art Contest

2024 Family Nurturing Center Art Contest

2023 Winner Evelyn McLendon from Villa Madonna Academy

KIDS: We need your creativity to raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month in April!

If you’re in grades 4-8 in Northern Kentucky, we invite you to create a picture that shows awareness of child abuse prevention and/or positive parenting, representing the theme:

Safe children

Thriving families

Nurturing communities

 

 

Download our contest flyer

Prizes

The wining artist will: Continue reading

Art Contest

2024 Family Nurturing Center Art Contest

2023 Winner Evelyn McLendon from Villa Madonna Academy

KIDS: We need your creativity to raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month in April!

If you’re in grades 4-8 in Northern Kentucky, we invite you to create a picture that shows awareness of child abuse prevention and/or positive parenting, representing the theme:

Safe children

Thriving families

Nurturing communities

 

 

Download our contest flyer

Prizes

The wining artist will: Continue reading

Blue Sunday on April 28, 2024

On April 28, 2024, marks the 30th Blue Sunday. Places of worships for all faiths are asked to join together in a day of prayer to demonstrate their appreciation to those who help abused or neglected children, and to support children and families who have been touched by abuse. National Blue Sunday Day of prayer for abused children began in 1994 with 20 churches. It’s grown to include more than 7.4 million participants on five continents.

We ask that your faith community prays a common prayer. We’ve created a Blue Sunday handout with the prayer and information on our FREE services that you can share amongst your congregants.

Learn more about faith based initiatives and register your place of worship at www.bluesunday.org.

Does your place of worship have a safe sanctuaries policy or guidelines to reduce the risk of child abuse?  Do you conduct a reference check and criminal background check on all of your employees and volunteers? Have you done a proactive self-evaluation to assess policy needs to protect children in the church’s care? Are your staff trained to know the signs and indicators of sexual abuse?

Learn ways to protect children and by hosting a FREE Stewards of Children workshop.

To read a sample safe  sanctuaries policy created by the General Conference of the United Methodist Church click here.  Another great resource for questions to ask your volunteers comes from Crossroads Church’s Kids Club Adult application .

Check out all of our Blue Ribbon Campaign events and activities

Wear Blue Day in Ohio and Kentucky

A simple gesture can make all the difference.  Ask your coworkers to join you for Wear Blue Day

  • Kentucky – Friday, April 5th #WearBlue4KYkids
  • Ohio – Wednesday, April 10th  #OhioWearsBlue2024

Help generate awareness about child abuse and neglect.  Business owners – Encourage employees to wear blue jeans to work by making a donation to support Family Nurturing Center’s programs and services for children and families.

Post your Wear Blue Day selfie and tag us on Facebook!

#WearBlue  #WearBlue4KYkids  #OhioWearsBlue2024  #stopchildabuse #FamilyNurturingCenter

Blue Ribbon Ceremony 2023 at Tom Gill Chevrolet.

Blue Ribbon Trees and Pinwheels for Prevention

Everyone has the power to make a difference in the life of a child.  Choose to be the difference and Build a Blue Ribbon Tree with the rest of Northern Kentucky. Select a Tree or Construct a Tree – creativity appreciated and encouraged!  Decorate the tree with Blue Ribbons (store bought or home-made).

Hang ribbons on trees to represent any of the following:

  • The number of students who attend a local school or child care
  • Reward kids for random acts of kindness with their name on a blue ribbon
  • Use the ribbons to show your business’s support for children in general
  • Something significant to your business, school or town that shows the importance of child abuse prevention education.

@familynurture #WearBlue4KYKids #OhioWearsBlue2024 #stopchildabuse #FamilyNurturingCenter

Plant a Pinwheels for Prevention garden in front of your school, place of worship, or business. You can order pinwheels directly from our friends at Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky (PCAK).  Visit Pinwheels for Prevention at PCAK.

How To Make A Pinwheel At Home

Pinwheel Coloring Sheet

April 2024 Daily Positive Parenting Tips Calendar