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Child Abuse Prevention Month: Standing Together for Children

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month—a time to pause, reflect, and recommit to protecting children

Creating safe learning environments doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because districts take intentional steps to strengthen policies, educate staff, and foster a culture of accountability and awareness. That’s why each year, Keenan partners with ReLiEF Joint Powers Authority (JPA) and the California School Boards Association to provide practical tools and training to support child abuse prevention efforts across school communities.

In collaboration with ReLiEF, we’ve developed a dedicated resource page designed to help districts take action. From policy guidance and staff training materials to awareness-building tools, these resources are ready to be implemented and tailored to your district’s needs. Whether you’re refreshing existing protocols or building new ones, this is an opportunity to strengthen your prevention framework.

We also invite districts to participate in a brief learning opportunity by watching the short video, “5 Things You Should Know About Child Abuse Prevention.” Districts that view the video will be eligible to enter a raffle to win a ReLiEF educational grant—making it an easy, meaningful way to support prevention efforts while gaining the chance to bring valuable resources back to your schools. However, it’s important to note that only districts participating in the ReLiEF JPAs are eligible to win.

Last year’s participation demonstrated the impact of collective commitment. More than 1,300 viewers engaged with the “Recognizing Grooming Behaviors” video, more than 35 school districts took part, and ReLiEF awarded $6,000 in educational grants to three districts to support student-focused initiatives. This year, even more support is available, with $14,000 in educational grants available through the raffle.

We encourage districts to engage with the available resources, share them with staff, and reinforce the message that student safety is a shared responsibility. Small actions, such as reviewing a policy, hosting training, or starting a conversation, can have a lasting impact.

Protecting children takes a community. Together, we can continue building safe, supportive environments where every student can thrive.

*Participation is limited to school districts only in California participating in a Keenan managed program. The $5,000 and $2,000 ReLiEF educational grant must be used for educational spending for the school district only and not for any booster, PTA, sport, or other extracurricular purpose. All video views, form submissions, and raffle entries must be completed by April 30th, 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time. Selected districts will be required to file a Form 801.