What You Can Do

Educate Your Group Members and the Community About Child Abuse and Neglect
• Invite speakers from local agencies to talk about prevention of child abuse and neglect.
• Conduct community awareness activities during Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, such as the Blue Ribbon Campaign. Look for ideas on the Blue Ribbons for Kids web site.
• Work with the media to create better awareness of child abuse prevention. Let news and radio stations know about the types of news you want to hear and want other people to know about. Publicize local facts about child abuse; send in editorials and press releases.
• Organize a brown bag lunch to inform those you work with about child abuse and neglect issues and brainstorm ideas about how you might work together to help prevent child abuse.
• Distribute brochures (available from Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin) regarding issues pertaining to child abuse and neglect.
• Work with a local library, church, school, or hospital to establish a resource library focusing on parenting issues.
• Organize a candlelight vigil to raise awareness of child abuse and neglect.

Provide Resources to Children and Families

• Help establish a parent support group in your community. If one is already established, help support the group by volunteering as a group facilitator, child care provider, outreach publicity coordinator or fund-raiser.
• Start or join and help expand a babysitting service, parent relief program, respite center, home visitation program, or intergenerational support program to lend support to families.
• Provide information and support to new parents by sharing information on Shaken Baby Syndrome. Learn more at http://www.chw.org/display/displayFile.asp?docid=48027&filename=/Groups/CAPFund/Shaken_Baby_Syndrome.pdf 
• Organize a parenting fair to educate parents about support services available in their community.
• Conduct a ''Report Card Campaign'' in your schools to help parents respond constructively to disappointing report cards.
• Organize a family fun day with family oriented activities. One suggestion is to have a ''Messy Fun Day'' where children can take part in messy activities they wouldn't be allowed to do at home.
• Call your local United Way or volunteer center to find ways you can volunteer your time and energy to help children and families.
• Organize a "Stewards of Children" training in your community - which educates adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse - learn more at www.a2awisconsin.org.
• Make in-kind donations of toys and supplies to local families and child care centers.
• Let all parents of newborns in your area know of  the UW- Cooperative Extension newsletters, Parenting the First Year and Parenting the Second and Third Years, available at http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Parenting-Grandparenting-C57.aspx 
• Download our Family Fun Calendar, which includes ideas for parents and children to try 365 days a year.
Mobilize Community Resources
• Conduct a needs assessment of your community resources for preventing child abuse and neglect, including what exists and what is needed.
• Print a brochure describing opportunities within your community to volunteer with children and families.
• Work with your local voluntary action center to make sure that volunteer opportunities in the child abuse and neglect area are understood, listed, and actively recruited for.
• Support a preschool, childcare center or Headstart program. Volunteer your time and energy as a teacher's aide or provide these programs with extra funds for equipment, supplies, and training costs.
• Support home childcare providers in becoming licensed and registered.
• Start a childcare program in your local high school as a way to support teens who are parenting and help them complete their education.
Work Together
• Pool your resources with partners in prevention of child abuse and neglect: service clubs such as The Exchange Center, Lioness, Kiwanis, General Federation of Women's Clubs, Independent Order of Foresters, Jaycees; churches or religious centers; hospital and medical auxiliaries; Kappa Delta sorority; PTA; VFW, and other groups with a commitment to families.
• Participate in the annual ''Together for Children'' conference on child abuse and neglect held each April.

Advocate for Improved Policies and Services for Families

• Continue to learn about children's issues. Look at websites focusing on children's issues.
• Talk to your senators and representatives at the state and local level about the needs of children and families.
• Keep informed on legislative and budget issues affecting children and families.
• Set up a telephone tree to mobilize your membership when legislators need to hear from you on upcoming issues.