March 15, 2022
Child abuse is on the rise as Loudoun’s vulnerable families continue to face long-term consequences of COVID.
That’s where SCAN comes in.
After two years of isolation, socio-economic instability, and lack of community resources, struggling families continue to face stress and unsafe living situations. Loudoun’s youth need our help now more than ever.
SCAN is hard at work in Loudoun County to prevent child abuse and mitigate trauma from the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to:
- We’ve partnered with Loudoun County Health and Human Services to work with child-serving professionals and organizations to prevent child abuse in schools, religious institutions, youth groups, and healthcare settings, ensuring that children are kept safe, everywhere they are.
- We’ve continued to lead the Loudoun County Trauma-Informed Community Network (TICN), a group of 70+ Loudoun County professionals dedicated to building awareness about the long-term impact of adverse childhood experiences and building programs and policies to mitigate the impact of trauma and abuse.
- We’ve renewed our partnership with the Loudoun County Public Schools to deliver family strengthening courses and 1:1 coaching to teen moms and vulnerable caregivers.
Child abuse is a devastating public health issue.
One in four children will experience abuse in their lifetime and five die per day as a result.
Last year, over 3,500 suspected child abuse referrals were made to authorities in Loudoun County. Keeping children safe from abuse has long-lasting and generational positive impacts. When children are safe from abuse, they are more likely to maintain steady housing, succeed academically, remain employed, experience better physical and mental health, live longer, and less likely to engage in criminal activity.
To support SCAN’s commitment to making Loudoun a safe, resilient community for NOVA’s youth, choose SCAN as your charity of choice on Loudoun’s annual giving day, March 29.