April is Child Abuse Prevention Month — here’s how you can raise awareness and support children in need
Maura Baker
Staff Writer
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. “The month of April offers us the opportunity to come together to protect our children and ensure every child has a safe and nurturing environment where they can grow and thrive,” wrote the USCCB Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection in the conference’s 2026 materials.
Participation in raising awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month includes wearing blue, the recognized color for child abuse prevention and awareness, or displaying pinwheels — another symbol of the movement. The Diocese of Covington, including the Curia building in Covington, and other Greater Cincinnati organizations and businesses will also be participating in the “Light it Up Blue” campaign, shining blue light onto their buildings and businesses — a campaign that Julie Feinauer, director, Office of Safe Environment, says that individuals are encouraged to participate in, too, lighting their homes blue in support of this important initiative.
Other ways to support child abuse prevention, both in April and year wide, is to support “local agencies that help women who are in domestic violence situations,” Mrs. Feinauer said, “because that is one place (homes) where children are abused, are in these violent homes.” Such organizations include the Brighton Center, Catholic Charities and the Rose Garden Home Mission.
“All of these places give support to low-income families or to families who are struggling,” said Mrs. Feinauer. “Anytime that you are taking stress out of people’s lives, it’s helping to ensure that children aren’t going to be put into abusive situations.”
“Unfortunately, the Catholic Church in particular has become associated with abuse,” she said, “We want to be seen as the Church moving forward doing everything that we can to prevent, to help educate and to give resources to children and families in need.”
The Diocese of Covington continues to support this mission of healing — with 3 p.m. monthly Holy Hours held at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington, held on the third Thursday of each month praying for victims of abuse. And with programs such as VIRTUS, which vet the volunteers and individuals who interact with children in the diocese and educate adults on important topics such as how to create safe environments for children as well as recognize and report suspected abuse — as all adults in Kentucky are considered mandatory reporters. And by educating its school children, preschool through 12th grade, on safety by identifying boundaries and reporting to safe adults through the VIRTUS Empowering God’s Children program.
“We are grateful for the work of individuals, organizations and policymakers who continue to work for the protection of children from abuse and neglect,” the USCCB concluded their letter for 2026 Child Abuse Prevention Month, further encouraging all Catholics and people nationally to continue the mission.
