JACKSON — Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi and the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services are recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and on Friday highlighted a training program intended to strengthen the state’s response to abuse cases.
Fitch, Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi CEO Karla Steckler Tye and Department of Child Protection Services Commissioner Andrea Sanders toured the Child Advocacy Training Institute, a facility that provides hands-on, simulation-based training for students and professionals who may encounter child abuse cases.
State leaders said the institute helps frontline workers better recognize, respond to and prevent child abuse by preparing them for real-world situations in a controlled environment. “Receiving specialized training on recognizing, responding to, and preventing child abuse is critical for a strong response to child abuse,” Fitch said in a statement.
Tye said the protection and healing of abused children often depends on how professionals respond in critical moments, and the training institute gives them a chance to practice before facing those situations in real life. Sanders said the facility allows Child Protection Services employees to walk through the full continuum of a case in a realistic, hands-on setting, strengthening how the system responds when abuse is reported.
In addition to touring the institute, officials shared child safety resources, including a new card offering tips for safe online gaming. Officials said the card is the third in a series created by the attorney general’s office and Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi and cited other materials developed through the office’s #BeAwareBeforeYouShare campaign, which focuses on raising awareness about the effects of social media on children’s well-being. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
