Child Abuse Prevention Month

Child Abuse Prevention Month

Support the effort to end child maltreatment in April by:

South Dakota Wear Blue Day to Prevent Child Abuse

April 4, 2025

Wear blue! Join us in sharing your support, by wearing blue on April 4 and sharing an image on social media.

Ray of Hope: Child Abuse Prevention Event

April 15: Ray of Hope event

Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment (CPCM) invites you to join us in commemorating this important month by raising awareness of how we can help our fellow South Dakotans know about, respond to, and prevent child maltreatment.

Legal Workshop

April 3: Legal Workshop

The 4th Annual Legal Workshop is sponsored by the South Dakota Unified Judicial System Court Improvement Program. CPCM and the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law are partner organizations for this event. This is a free learning opportunity, to be held at the Muenster University Center in Vermillion.

Court Improvement Program Training

April 30: Understanding the Impact of Maltreatment on Child Development

Join us for our April session of the Court Improvement Program. Exploration of the impact of stressors experienced during infancy, childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Session participants will: understand the effect of stress on a child’s brain development; recognize and understand the physical and behavioral health effects of violence, neglect and abuse, including mental health impacts; and understand the impact of child maltreatment on suicide ideation, attempt, and completion.

Partner Event: Henry’s Run

April 26: Henry’s Run

To raise awareness and funds for child abuse prevention. All proceeds benefit Sanford Children’s Child’s Voice, a South Dakota Children’s Advocacy Center.

2025 Graphics and Templates:

Download zip file of graphics and templates.

Social Media Follow and Share:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SDCPCM
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdcpcm/

South Dakota Resources:

https://dss.sd.gov/childprotection/nationalchildabuse.aspx

National Resources:

https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/

Children and Sexual-Based Online Harms: A Guide for Professionals

This session will cover research around the risks and vulnerabilities of children accessing the internet, online grooming and exploitation, impacts of children viewing pornography online, what we can do as professionals, parents, and policymakers. Presented by Chrissie Young, Director, CPCM and Heather Knox, Assistant United States Attorney, U.S Attorney’s Office

2024 Legislative Session Recap

The discussion will focus on CPCM policy initiatives, the CDC ACEs prevention framework, and 2024 legislative wins related to child welfare including but not limited to the 4% cost of living increase, policing the internet, artificial intelligence, children accessing pornography, as well as big changes in school funding and prioritizing teacher salaries. Presented by Senator Helene Duhamel, CPCM Advisory Board Member and Chrissie Young, Director, CPCM

Human Trafficking 101

An in depth look of the way that traffickers groom victims, the types of trafficking we are seeing, and the work we are doing to improve and support the prevention and response to Human Trafficking in South Dakota. Presented by Mary Beth Holzwarth, SD Division of Criminal Investigation.