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Utah Child Abuse Prevention


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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.

A wise person once said, "If we had paid no more attention to our plants than we have to our children, we would now be living in a jungle of weeds."

I love and cherish my children and grandchildren, so I can't conceive of anyone knowingly abusing a child. And yet, it is a major problem in our society.

The Utah Child Abuse Prevention Task Force has a vision that all children be protected from preventable, harmful experiences that result from abuse and neglect. The organization is working to inform all parents, especially new parents, about how to provide safe and healthy formative years for their children.

Families are such a critical factor in healthy communities. Preventing child abuse protects and strengthens families and helps them succeed. Child abuse hurts children and families.

The Utah Child Abuse Prevention Task Force believes prevention efforts must be accomplished by public and private partnerships. It has asked Speaking on Business to communicate with the business community about how businesses and individuals must work with voluntary and public sectors to formulate plans to prevent child abuse.

"Awareness precedes action." The "Utah Healthy Families — Safe Kids Action Plan" was introduced to the public in January by the task force. This was a giant step in creating awareness of the magnitude of child abuse and steps that can be taken to support Utah parents is raising safe, healthy and successful children.

Is child abuse a problem in Utah? Oh, yes! There were more than 7,800 supported cases of child abuse or neglect in 2003. Child abuse cases increased by 33.8 percent from 2000 to 2003.

Child abuse is a major, moral issue, and it's wrong. Prevention is right! Children are precious, but they are also vulnerable and dependent on adults. They deserve our best.

For Zions bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.

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