Dixon Family Services (DFS) has a banner in front of its building this month to remind community members that April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and that everyone can help reduce and prevent child abuse and neglect. Photo courtesy of Dixon Family Services

DIXON, CA (MPG) - Dixon Family Services (DFS) has a banner in front of its building this month to remind the community that April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and that everyone can help reduce and prevent child abuse and neglect.  

Child abuse, in its many forms, happens every day and has major impacts on the futures of those victimized. Solano County percentages are higher than California averages. According to the Child Welfare Services data for 2024, Dixon had a total of 165 child maltreatment allegation cases, for children 0 to 17.  Forty-three (26%) of the 165, were children ages 0 to 5.

Studies show that there is a direct link between child abuse and a greater risk later in life of depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, smoking, eating disorders, obesity, sexual promiscuity, certain chronic diseases and suicide.

Dixon Family Services does all it can to help ensure the safety and well-being of Dixon’s children all year long.  As a Family Resource Center, it is a priority goal to reduce the incidences of child abuse and/or neglect in homes and in the community at large by enlightening and informing people of the signs to watch out for, reporting suspected abuse and steps to take to create an environment that can reduce the possibilities for abuse or neglect of children.  

Although Dixon Family Services’ main focus is to assist households living at or below poverty, the organization wants to make clear that child abuse knows no boundaries and is found in families of all socio-economic backgrounds and cuts across lines of ethnicity, culture, socioeconomics and education.

There are several factors that can create increased risk of child abuse including lack of parenting skills, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, mental illness, poverty and substandard housing conditions, domestic violence and a parent’s history of child abuse. These same risk factors can be barriers to abusers’ acknowledgement of the problem and ability to seek programs or services intended to stop the abuse such as parenting classes, counseling, peer support or other approaches.

As a community, Dixonites have a responsibility to nurture and protect the children, as well as other people’s children to ensure they can become healthy and productive adults.

Do not hesitate to report what you think might be abusive behavior to local police or county child protective services. Let professionals determine if your concerns are worth investigation. 

For more information about child abuse, ways to help prevent it and how to report it, visit dixonfamilyservices.org, the Children’s Network website childnet.org, the Partners in Prevention website partnersinprevention.org or call Solano Child Welfare Services at 1-800-544-8696.