Protect What Matters Most.
Every child deserves to be safe! And every child deserves to be heard, seen, and have a support system that fosters inclusion, protection, and trust. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, but in reality, our collective commitment to protect our most vulnerable citizens—children—goes beyond this one month.
For Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM), MBF developed an outreach toolkit as a resource to promote child safety in your school and community. The toolkit (including lesson plans, resources for parents and staff, and more) will help you raise awareness of CAPM and support your outreach to your school, staff, and parents. Please visit our RESOURCE LIBRARY for additional resources on additional topics, such as bullying, cyberbullying, exploitation, child trafficking, and more.
These free, standalone micro-lessons include a review of the MBF 5 Safety Rules from the MBF Child Safety Matters® and MBF Teen Safety Matters® prevention education programs, and no additional training is required to deliver them to students.
If your school already uses MBF Programs, the MBF 5 Safety Rules will be familiar to students and serve as a review. If not, the 5 Safety Rules and identifying Safe Adults are important concepts that will be introduced to help keep students safe. To learn how to become an MBF Certified Facilitator and gain access to the full suite of MBF Prevention Education Programs, contact MBF at support@mbfpreventioneducation.org.
- Coloring Sheets (For K–5th Grade)
- Coloring Sheet – MBF 5 Safety Rules
- NEW! Coloring Sheet – Super Safety Rules
- Coloring Sheet – Activity Mat
- Relationship Wheels (For 6th–12th Grade) — To be displayed during micro-lesson delivery
- Relationship Wheels with Definitions (For 6th–12th Grade) — To be printed and distribute to students during micro-lesson delivery (optional)
- Pull Tab Posters
MBF offers FREE one-hour online courses for professional development, community awareness, and education:
- Recognizing & Reporting Child Abuse & Neglect. Learn the indicators of different types of abuse and when and how to intervene.
- Protecting Children from Child Sexual Abuse. Learn about this epidemic that affects 1 in 10 children and how to better protect them.
- Preventing, Recognizing, and Responding to Human Trafficking. Learn about how this is affecting children and teens and what can be done to stop it.
- Online Child Sexual Exploitation. Learn what online child sexual exploitation is and how to better educate children and teens to help protect them from various types of online exploitation.
- Responding to Child Abuse Disclosures [Courtesy of the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College (NCJTC)]
- Child Welfare Protective Factors Conversation Guides – These guides were created to help service providers engage caregivers in personalized conversations about the protective factors. Each set (one for each of the six protective factors) includes a guide for service providers and a worksheet for caregivers. These can be used one-on-one, as part of a structured activity for a larger group, or in in-person or virtual settings. After a brief introduction about the protective factor, caregivers are encouraged to fill in each worksheet and relate the protective factor to their family’s unique circumstances and goals.
Blue is the color of prevention, and everyone is encouraged to participate in the national “Wear Blue Day” on Friday, April 3rd! By wearing blue, people demonstrate an awareness of and commitment to our shared responsibility for the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of the children and families in our communities.
The Pinwheels for Prevention Campaign is a grassroots effort for individuals and organizations across the U.S. to take action. The campaign promotes healthy child development while raising awareness to prevent abuse and neglect – before it happens.
- Plant a pinwheel garden in your community to serve as a visual reminder of the world we want for all children to grow up happy, healthy, and prepared to succeed. Pinwheels and other materials can be ordered at Prevention Child Abuse FL.
- Make your Own template: Make Your Pinwheel
- Visit Prevent Child Abuse Florida for more ideas to show your support this April: Pinwheels for Prevention