Invest in Our Children

This week, we all found out the fate of Casey Anthony. We were already painfully aware of the fate of her two year old daughter, Caylee. We will probably never know the truth of what happened to this child, but we do know the truth of what happens to so many children like Caylee: They die needlessly, and they usually die in a manner that could have been prevented.

During such high profile cases, we at Prevent Child Abuse Indiana are often asked what we think, or how we feel about the perpetrator, or what we feel could have been done to prevent such a tragedy. Since we weren’t there, we don’t know what could have been done in this particular case. We do know what can be done for the future to help promote the welfare of children though, and it’s very simple…we have to start putting children first…not just in rhetoric, but in reality. We have said before that it’s okay to feel angry, or sad, or confused when these unthinkable things happen to the most vulnerable among us. However if we get stuck in those emotions, we may not be able to respond in such a way that prevents those things from happening again.

When children are not being cared for, or not being provided every opportunity to thrive, then the toll on them, their families, their community, and society as a whole is immense. Polls show that people care what happens to children, and that programs that benefit children should not be cut. People understand that not investing in children in the short run, will be much more expensive in the long run. When we talk about investing in children, we are not necessarily talking about money. There are many ways in which people and communities can invest. They can invest time, interest, and their passion for doing what’s right for children. Scenes that show crowds outside of courthouses during trials are the scenes we want to see outside of playgrounds, parks, Statehouses, schools, daycares. If people can make the time to gather in outrage, they can make the time to gather to champion the rights of children…because the former will usually result in feelings of hopelessness, while the latter will result in a better future for everyone.