April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Image via Children’s Trust of South Carolina
Nearly three years ago, in March of 2018, Sarah and Jennifer Hart drugged and murdered their six children, intentionally driving off a cliff in California along the Pacific Coast Highway. The children were Markis (19), Hannah (16), Devonte (15), Jeremiah (14), Abigail (14) and Ciera (12). An upcoming Discovery+ documentary (“Broken Harts”) will detail the story of the children’s cross-state adoption from Texas to Minnesota by Jennifer and Sarah. This tragic case highlights the multiple ways that systems can fail to protect children from abuse. Those failures include a lack of communication about child abuse charges across state lines, the lack of consistent oversight in some adoption cases, and the effects of racism on the child welfare system. The bottom line: the Harts were able to move from Minnesota to Oregon to Washington when suspicion was raised. When a teacher in Minnesota reported suspected abuse, they moved to Oregon. When a friend placed a call to Oregon authorities after observing the children’s mistreatment at the hands of their mothers, they moved to Washington. And when a neighbor in Washington called authorities, the Hart women fled with their children, a trip that ended in their death.
The Harts intentionally curated an outward illusion of doting, progressive parents who opened their hearts and homes to children “in need”, when the reality was that the children were physically abused, starved, and ultimately killed. This carefully constructed persona was popularized after a photo of Devonte went viral, showing him tearfully embracing a police officer at a Black Lives Matter protest in Portland, OR. Devonte was also holding a sign that read “Free Hugs.” The failure of systems across multiple states to communicate and act in the face of clear evidence demonstrates the ways that systems fail the most vulnerable among us.
Sierra, Jeremiah, Abigail, Devonte, Hannah and Markis Hart. Photo from Oregonlive.com (April 15, 2019)
Devonte, Hannah, Markis, Sierra, Jeremiah, and Abigail tragically short lives serve as a reminder about the importance of community in preventing child abuse. That’s why this April, Child Abuse Prevention Month, I want to highlight the important role we all can play in creating a network of caring adults in the lives of the children in our communities.
What should fundraisers and leaders know?
How might a fundraiser or organizational leader share the story of their work and impact when discussing an issue like child abuse? How can we avoid exploiting survivors’ experiences?
Share survivor stories that highlight broken systems, as opposed to sensational stories. Focus on the systemic need and the organization’s impact without trafficking in trauma.
Engage the clients you serve directly to hear from them about what they’d like to share. Offer them opportunities to speak and to have their stories shared in a manner that serves their healing and not just your fundraising.
Check the tone of your messaging. Invite more people to review marketing materials and appeals to ensure a tone of respect that centers the people you serve without exploitation.
What can we do to be part of the solution?
Support community-based programs aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect through resources and services for families.
Invest in organizations that influence policy at all levels – federal to local – so they can advocate for funding to serve and support survivors and policies that can prevent abuse from happening.
Show genuine care and concern. If something feels wrong, check in with a child and ask questions. Additionally, if you see a change in a parent or caregiver in your network, check in with them too. You can always lead with, “I’m worried about you and I want to make sure you’re okay.”
Who is Doing This Work?
Here are some organizations doing important work to support youth and families, prevent child abuse, raise awareness about disparate outcomes for black and brown children in the care system or in need of extra support, and most importantly, to keep children safe from harm:
Black Administrators in Child Welfare
Children’s Defense Fund
National CASA
Child Welfare League of America
First Star Foundation
Foster Care Alumni of America