April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and this year’s theme is “growing better together, we CAN prevent child abuse, North Carolina.” We all have a stake in preparing NC’s children to grow up to be healthy thriving parents, leaders, employees and community members, and employers play a vital role in building the strong foundations and nurturing experiences children and families need to thrive.
One big way employers can support families and help lower child abuse and neglect and intimate partner abuse is by implementing family-friendly workplace policies within their own workplace that can help prevent violence and maltreatment from ever occurring.
These policies include:
- employee assistance programs, which directly support families’ mental health;
- support to find and afford child care—a major financial burden for most families, which can lead to stress and overwhelm;
- health insurance plans that cover employees and their families and offer access to mental and physical health care;
- pregnancy accommodations, which help to reduce physical and emotional strain during pregnancy; and
- paid family leave, which improves family functioning, including preventing child maltreatment and reducing domestic violence, and dramatically improves birth outcomes.
These protective factors have been shown to prevent abuse by:
- increasing parental resilience, knowledge of child development and parenting skills;
- improving social connections for families; and
- leading to better social and emotional competence for children.
As more NC workplaces invest in policies that promote healthy children, families, employers and communities, we will build a more prosperous future for us all. To learn more about what employers can do to improve their family-friendly workplace policies and help all NC children grow better together, check out Family Forward NC’s Guide to Family Forward Workplaces.