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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and |
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2013 marks the 30th anniversary in which states join together to |
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promote greater protection of our children through increased public |
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awareness of and action against child abuse; and |
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WHEREAS, National Child Abuse Prevention Month was first |
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observed in April 1983, and in the years since, government agencies |
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and advocacy groups have continued to mark this month with a range |
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of initiatives that help target and stop abuse; and |
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WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and |
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Prevention, approximately 700,000 U.S. children were victims of |
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abuse and neglect in 2010, and more than 1,500 died from |
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maltreatment; in Texas, Child Protective Services personnel |
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confirmed nearly 40,000 such cases and over 200 related fatalities |
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in 2011; the actual number of individuals suffering from abuse each |
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year is estimated to be far greater because many cases go unreported |
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or undetected; and |
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WHEREAS, To help address this problem, organizations at the |
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local, state, and national levels have sponsored programs to |
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support families, to foster healthy parenting practices, and to |
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engage communities in prevention and intervention efforts; and |
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WHEREAS, Public awareness is one of the most important tools |
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in the fight to end child abuse and neglect; in observing National |
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Child Abuse Prevention Month, Texas stands alongside the rest of |
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the nation in defending the right of all children to grow up in a |
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safe and nurturing environment; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize April 2013 as National Child Abuse |
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Prevention Month and call on all citizens to work together to ensure |
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the well-being of children throughout the state and beyond. |