This is Child Abuse Prevention month
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Livingston County Health Department has many programs for families and young children.
They do a lot of educating about child abuse prevention through the programs and review topics such as shaken baby information, healthy bonding between parents and their children and identifying family’s adverse childhood experiences.
Much of the education and information comes from Prevent Child Abuse Illinois which is a great resource for anyone who may want more information on prevention. The website is www.preventchildabuseillinois.org.
LCHD offers programs for young families and pregnant women in the county such as WIC, Family Case Management and Better Birth Outcomes. WIC stands for Women, Infants and Children and is a supplemental nutrition program that serves pregnant or postpartum mothers and children up to the age of 5. The goal is to educate families on the importance of a healthy and nutritious diet.
Family Case Management is a program that provides a nurse to pregnant women and infants through their first year. Better Birth Outcomes is for high-risk pregnant women in Livingston County and there are certain requirements to be in this program.
Healthy Families of Illinois focuses on healthy child development and fostering parent-child interactions. It is a home visiting program that can work with families until the child turns 5 with a goal of promoting child well being and preventing abuse and neglect.
Anyone wanting more information on these programs or the Livingston County Health Department in general should call 815-844-7174. Â
