WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) today introduced a Senate resolution expressing support for designating April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This resolution is endorsed by more than 20 national and state organizations, including Prevent Child Abuse America, Buckner International, Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Now, Children At Risk, Children’s Trust Fund Alliance, Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Family Compass, First3Years, Healthy Families America, Illuminate Colorado, National Association of Counsel for Children, Tennessee Voices, TexProtects, The Kempe Foundation, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, United Ways of Texas, and Zero to Three. Text is below, and the full resolution can be viewed here.

“Whereas children are fundamental to the success of the United States and will shape the future of the United States;

Whereas elected representatives and leaders in the communities of the United States must be ever vigilant and proactive in support of evidence-based means to prevent child abuse and neglect, and to support families;

Whereas adverse childhood experiences (referred to in this preamble as ‘ACEs’) are traumatic experiences that occur during childhood with lasting effects and include experiences of violence, abuse, or neglect;

Whereas at least 5 of the top 10 leading causes of death are associated with ACEs;

Whereas preventing ACEs could reduce many health conditions and long-term negative effects on life, opportunity, and well-being, including—

(1) up to 21,000,000 cases of depression;

(2) up to 1,900,000 cases of heart disease; and

(3) up to 2,500,000 cases of overweight and obesity;

Whereas every child is filled with tremendous promise, and we all have a collective responsibility to prevent ACEs, foster the potential of every child, and promote positive childhood experiences;

Whereas preventing child abuse and neglect can reduce the costly lifetime economic burden associated with child maltreatment;

Whereas, in 2023, an estimated 7,782,000 children were referred to child protective services agencies, alleging maltreatment;

Whereas each year approximately 1 in 7 children in the United States experiences child abuse, neglect, or both;

Whereas reports indicate that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys will become victims of child sexual abuse before their 18th birthday;

Whereas 93 percent of child sexual abuse victims are abused by a person they know and trust;

Whereas children who are sexually abused, especially when not provided appropriate treatment and support, often suffer lifelong consequences, such as physical and mental health challenges and higher risk of drug and alcohol misuse and suicide;

Whereas, in 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline received nearly 36,200,000 reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation, a 12-percent increase from 2022, the highest number of reports ever received in 1 year;

Whereas education and awareness of possible signs of child abuse and neglect should be prioritized for purposes of prevention; and

Whereas, by intervening to prevent adversity and build resilience during the most critical years of development of a child, voluntary, evidence-based, home-visiting programs have shown positive impact on—

(1) reducing the recurrence of child abuse and neglect;

(2) decreasing the incidence of low-birthweight babies;

(3) improved school readiness for children; and

(4) increased high school graduation rates: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) supports the designation of April 2025 as ‘National Child Abuse Prevention Month’;

(2) expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Child Abuse Prevention Month;

(3) recognizes that child abuse and neglect and child sexual abuse are preventable, and that a healthy and prosperous society depends on strong families and communities;

(4) supports efforts to increase the awareness of, and provide education for, the general public of the United States, with respect to preventing child abuse and neglect and building protective factors for families;

(5) supports the efforts to help survivors of childhood sexual abuse heal;

(6) supports justice for victims of childhood sexual abuse; and

(7) recognizes the need for prevention, healing, and justice efforts related to childhood abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse.”