On Mar. 22, Fort Worth’s ACH Child and Family Services (ACH) hosted its 8th Annual Lend A Hand Luncheon to recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month (April). The event was designed to bring together advocates, community leaders and businesses to discuss the staggering number of children in urgent need of the community’s helping hands.
Keynote speaker was Jenna Quinn (pictured above with ACH CEO Dr. Wayne Carson), a child sexual abuse survivor and author of Pure in Heart: A Memoir of Overcoming Abuse and Passing Jenna’s Law. Jenna’s Law was the first child sexual abuse prevention education law that passed in the United States named after a survivor. Quinn stated during the luncheon that since Jenna’s Law passed in May 2009, thirty-nine states have duplicated portions of their legislation from this mandate.
Quinn shared her personal story of abuse and overcoming that trauma during the luncheon, noting that there is a lot of hope around this issue if we could just reframe it. She shared that after educators participate in child sexual abuse trainings, they are four times more likely to report suspected child abuse.
ACH has shared information about events happening during Child Abuse Prevention Month on its Facebook page.
ABOUT ACH CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES
ACH Child and Family Services, a Fort Worth-based nonprofit agency, is dedicated to protecting children and preserving families. Abuse and neglect are significant problems in the communities ACH serves, with Tarrant County suffering from the third highest number of abused children of any county in Texas. With over a century of experience, ACH brings needed resources and skills to children and families struggling with life’s challenges. Some ACH programs keep children and families together while others provide a healing home for children who can’t live with their families. And through the Our Community, Our Kids division, ACH is pioneering Community-Based Care in seven counties of the Texas foster care system. The vision of ACH is for families to thrive and children to experience safety, hope and love. Find out more by visiting the organization’s website.
