SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 709
WHEREAS, Children are our most precious resource, and they
deserve to grow up in an environment free of abuse and neglect; no
child should have to endure abuse, especially at the hands of an
adult; unfortunately, children are far too often abused and
neglected by the very adults who should be protecting and caring
for them; and
WHEREAS, Child abuse and neglect is a complex and ongoing
problem in our society, and every year the state confirms more
victims; the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services,
which administers the state's Child Protective Services program,
received more than 290,000 reports of child abuse and neglect in
2010; that year, 227 Texas children died because of abuse or
neglect at the hands of their parents or guardians, and 66,897
children were confirmed victims of abuse or neglect; on any given
day, there are more than 17,000 Texas children and teenagers in
foster care; and
WHEREAS, Adults who are attentive to and aware of
children's behaviors are in the best position to safeguard their
well-being; the majority of Texas child abuse cases involve
neglectful supervision, which is the placing of a child in or the
failure to remove a child from a situation that a reasonable
person would realize requires judgment or actions beyond the
child's level of maturity, physical condition, or mental
abilities and that results in bodily injury or substantial risk
of immediate harm to the child; and
WHEREAS, No single entity by itself can prevent child abuse
from happening; child abuse and neglect can be reduced by making
sure that all families have the support they need and deserve in
order to be able to raise their children in a healthy
environment; communities must make every effort to promote
programs that benefit children and their families; cities and
towns across Texas need to work to provide the support families
need to stay together and raise children and youth to be happy,
secure, and stable adults; effective child abuse prevention
programs succeed because of partnerships among agencies,
schools, religious organizations, law enforcement agencies, and
the business community; and
WHEREAS, Everyone in the community should accept the
responsibility of keeping children safe from abuse and neglect;
parents, friends, neighbors, and other concerned Texans should
report suspected abuse or neglect to available hotlines or by
contacting local law enforcement; and
WHEREAS, Since the 1980s, April has traditionally been
designated as the month to recognize child abuse prevention; many
people wear or display blue ribbons during April in memory of
those who have died as a result of child abuse; however, we must
be vigilant against child abuse not only during April but
throughout the year; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd
Legislature, hereby proclaim April of 2011 to be Child Abuse
Prevention Month in Texas and urge all citizens to work together
to help reduce child abuse and neglect; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in
honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Nelson, Uresti
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on April 5, 2011.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate