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At the Arkansas State Capitol earlier today, First Lady Susan Hutchinson announced a national initiative, the “Shine Hope Campaign”, among First Spouses raising awareness for child abuse victims and survivors across our Nation.
Many in the crowd wore blue in observation and reflection of child abuse awareness. Today, Arkansas, along with 14 other states, will participate by either lighting their Governor’s residence in blue, wearing blue, lighting a prominent state structure blue, visiting a local Child Advocacy Center, issuing proclamations in support of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, or promoting on social media with the tagline #ShineHope.
The participating states in the national Shine Hope campaign include Montana, Kentucky, New Jersey, Louisiana, Virginia, Delaware, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah, Tennessee, North Dakota, and Mississippi. These states have pledged to recognize child abuse and neglect as a serious problem affecting every segment of our communities during Child Abuse Awareness Month in April.
- Nearly 700,000 children are abused in the USA each Year.
- There are an estimated 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse living in the U.S. today.
- 90% of child abuse victims know their abuser.
- About 1 in 10 children will be sexually abused before they turn 18.
- Children’s Advocacy Centers nationwide serve more than 370,000 kids each year, helping them to recover from trauma caused by child abuse.
On the evening of April 11th, as part of the Shine Hope Campaign, Arkansas will light the Governor’s Residence and State Capitol in blue shining hope for the child abuse victims and survivors.
Child Advocacy Center Day Proclamation
Governor Asa Hutchinson also announced today the official proclamation of Children’s Advocacy Center Day on April 11, 2022. In 2021 over 11,200 children were seen at a Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) in Arkansas for services to promote hope and healing in the aftermath of childhood trauma.
Nationally, Children’s Advocacy Centers serve more than 370,000 children each year, helping them to recover from the trauma caused by child abuse. Statistically, 90% of abusive offenders are close to the child and/or family personally. There are 17 child advocacy centers and 10 satellite locations serving all 75 counties in Arkansas. You can find out more about your local CAC and how you can become involved at www.cacarkansas.org.
If you suspect child abuse, save a child not a secret and call the Arkansas child abuse hotline at 844.SAVE.A.CHILD or 800.482.5964.
You can watch the full press conference HERE.
