A major activity of the Network is creating and establishing a yearly primary prevention campaign. The overall goal is to provide families with community-based child abuse and neglect prevention activities.
In 2007, the Network's theme was "Children Learn through Play". This theme was a collaboration with the Providence Partnership for Young Children whose goal was to educate parents on the importance of play in a young child's social, emotion, and physical development. Through this collaborative effort a city-wide "Day of Play" in Providence was created which consisted of activities throughout the day focusing on the encouragement of free play for children and parents together and included specific activities and materials designed to promote play as a parent-child bonding opportunity; a vehicle for establishing positive parent-child relationships; problem-solving; and communication skill development for both children and adults.
This theme was carried forward into 2008 with a State-wide "Day of Play" Campaign with sites through out Rhode Island hosting their own free-play events. The Network also hosted a "Day of Play" Event at the Impossible Dream Playground in Warwick, RI on May 24th with over 100 attendees participating in a variety of crafts, games and activities.
The over-arching theme for these events was really about building adult-child relationships through participation in play. The goal was to help parents and guardians understand how important play is in the life of a child...that it is where the building blocks for learning math, science, literacy, relationships, conflict resolution and communication begin and are strengthened. We believe that the Day of Play activities will help parents and guardians to understand exactly HOW children learn through play.
In 2009, the Network launch a media campaign around the importance of the 3 P’s of Parenting – providing, participating and protecting. The 3 P’s of parenting message was delivered through radio stations FM - Lite 105 and AM - WPRO, WHJJ, WPRV, and Hot106. A visual message emphasizing the importance of adult supervision was delivered through television stations WNAC Fox Providence and WPRI Providence as well as on their websites.
The Rhode Island Child Abuse Prevention Network is funded in part by the Department of Children, Youth and Families through the Rhode Island Family and Children's Trust Fund.
The RI Child Abuse Prevention Network receives administrative assistance from Prevent Child Abuse Rhode Island. Information on the Network can be obtained by calling 401.728.7920.
