Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Tip of Texas Family Outreach Center will recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month by holding a “La Pitada” on Saturday.
The non-profit organization says residents are asked to decorate their cars with posters and dress in blue and show their support for the children in the community.
The La Pitada will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 17, at the Tip of Texas Family Outreach Center at 455 E. Levee Street.
Free books, pinwheels and small toys will be handed out to the children in attendance while supplies last.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the following has occurred:
>>Child abuse and neglect are common : At least 1 in 7 children have experienced child abuse and/or neglect in the past year, and this is likely an underestimate. In 2019, 1,840 children died of abuse and neglect in the United States.
>>Children living in poverty experience more abuse and neglect : Experiencing poverty can place a lot of stress on families, which may increase the risk for child abuse and neglect. Rates of child abuse and neglect are 5 times higher for children in families with low socioeconomic status compared to children in families with higher socioeconomic status.
>>Child maltreatment is costly: In the United States, the total lifetime economic burden associated with child abuse and neglect was approximately $428 billion in 2015. This economic burden rivals the cost of other high-profile public health problems, such as stroke and type 2 diabetes.
