Observing Child Abuse Awareness Month
This month, we’re raising awareness about child abuse in our community and highlighting how, at Jonathan’s Place, we’re actively building an expansive network of support around every child, teen, and young adult we serve. Kids like Patrick, who have been physically and emotionally traumatized by the people charged with their care.
Patrick first came into the care of Jonathan’s Place after being referred by The Texas Department of Family Services. His arm was broken and his skin was red and swollen at the site of the injury. His mother said the injury was caused by the family dog. When an MRI revealed multiple injuries in various stages of healing, she mentioned that he might have also fallen out of bed.
The injuries Patrick had sustained were neither consistent with a dog bite nor with an accident like falling out of bed. What the doctors observed were injuries consistent with years of physical abuse and trauma, the result of a terrible home environment that had largely gone unrecognized until his visit to the hospital that day.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and we invite you to learn more about how you can help children like Patrick by supporting our work at Jonathan’s Place.
Every child we serve has a very unique story, but when a child comes to Jonathan’s place, it is because they have experienced the unimaginable—abuse, neglect, and trauma.
Teens like Michelle, who have tried to take their own lives because they have no place to call home. Infants like Donovan, who tested positive for amphetamines at the time of their birth. And kids like Patrick. After his trip to the emergency room that day, the CPS Officer assigned to his case found that he and his mother had been living with his abusive father, which was against court orders.
At Jonathan’s Place, we are committed to meeting the unique needs of every child who comes through our doors, because we believe that every child and youth deserves unconditional love, the chance to heal, and to dream big dreams about what they want to be when they grow up.
We are able to accomplish our mission because of the support of our community and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.
“While the work can be difficult,” says Jennifer, “we have many happy days and moments to celebrate—like attending the graduation of a youth or attending an adoption of an older child.”
We invite you to share in our successes by making a donation or signing up to volunteer.
At Jonathan’s Place, Patrick was welcomed with open arms and became a part of our family while he waited to be placed in foster care. He was safe. And once his physical injuries began to heal, Patrick was able to begin the hard work of processing the trauma he had experienced over the years.
Given the space to heal in a compassionate, loving environment, Patrick started playing soccer again and began to thrive.
Every single person in our community is a vital part of our children’s journey toward healing. It takes all of us to come together to “be the tie” that connects our kids with unconditional love and support, as well as the gift of imagining a future full of possibilities.
Anyone can be the tie, says Jennifer. “By providing clothing and supplies for children in each of our programs, this helps ‘be the tie.’ When supporters donate an activity for foster families to attend, this is being the tie. It gives that family the opportunity to build a connection with each other through playful interactions, which in turn helps the child in their healing process.”
On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, we are inviting our supporters to join us at the 11th annual Be The Tie Luncheon. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Dallas at 11:30 a.m. and will feature a panel of individuals with lived experience in the child welfare system moderated by Paige McCoy Smith of WFAA Good Morning Texas.
As we raise awareness this month about how to prevent child abuse in our community, we hope you’ll consider supporting our mission by being the tie that every child deserves.