April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and because of this, the month features several holidays that address the issue of child abuse and neglect. One such holiday is Childhelp National Day of Hope, which calls on everyone to commit to ending child abuse and neglect during their lifetime.

In 2019 alone, there were over 656,243 reported cases of child abuse, and that number seems to increase each year. Therefore, it’s incumbent upon all of us to work together to do what we can to end child abuse and neglect.

The History of Childhelp National Day of Hope

This holiday was created in 2000 by a U.S. Congress resolution. It was established to raise awareness about child abuse in the United States so that efforts could be made to combat it. Since then, it has been observed on the first Wednesday of April each year.

Facts About Child Abuse in the U.S.

Below are some facts we’ve uncovered about child abuse during our research for Childhelp National Day of Hope:

• A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds in the U.S.
• Every day, five children die from neglect and child abuse.
• More than 70% of children who die from abuse or neglect are 2 years of age or younger.
• More than 80% of children who die from abuse or neglect are not old enough for kindergarten.

Observing Childhelp National Day of Hope

Find out about organizations dealing with child abuse and neglect on both national and local levels. Once you have done that, you can volunteer your time or donate money to these organizations.

You can also help spread the word about this holiday by using the hashtag #ChildhelpNationalDayOfHope on social media to leverage the power of the internet in raising awareness about this day.