Tennyson Center for Children Marks National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Tennyson Center for Children Encourages People to Help Fight Child Abuse and Neglect During National Child Abuse Prevention Month

DENVER (April 1, 2010) – Tennyson Center for Children, one of the Rocky Mountain region’s leading treatment and education centers for abused, neglected and at-risk youth, today announced its 2010 campaign in support of Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. The integrated campaign offers many opportunities for individuals and groups to get involved in the effort to end child abuse and neglect.

According to the Colorado General Assembly’s 2009 Joint Budget Committee briefing on child welfare, Colorado’s 64 counties received approximately 76,000 reports of child abuse or neglect during FY 2008-09. That many children would fill Denver’s Pepsi Center four times over. And between the years of 2000 and 2007 (the most recent figures available), 179 Colorado children lost their lives to child abuse and neglect.

“Child abuse is understandably a tough topic that people prefer not to think about,” said Bob Cooper, president and CEO of Tennyson Center. “However, given that nearly five children in America die every day as a result of child abuse or neglect, it is a problem from which we simply cannot hide. With Child Abuse Prevention Month, we hope to give as many people as possible opportunities to get involved in the fight against child abuse and neglect. This is not a problem that the public sector alone can solve – it will take all of us pulling together and pooling our time and resources to save these children.”

Various components of Tennyson Center’s 2010 Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign include:

Operation Santa – Tennyson Center for Children

Tennyson Center for Children (www.childabuse.org), one of the Rocky Mountain region’s leading treatment and education centers for abused, neglected and at-risk youth, has launched its annual Operation Santa campaign, which runs through Jan. 1.

Operation Santa is Tennyson Center’s way of giving the spirit of the holidays to the more than 100 children and 70 families served by the 105 year-old agency. The program solicits corporate and individual support from the Denver community to fulfill wish lists for children’s toys and gifts, as well as much-needed items that are essential to the success and healing of the children who receive treatment at Tennyson Center.

“This program provides the children and families served by our Center with a little magic during the holidays,” said Bob Cooper, CEO of Tennyson Center for Children. “Many of our children have never experienced a real holiday season. Through the generous donations of our supporters, we are able to put smiles on their faces. I remember one little youngster kept asking for a new video game, and the sponsor drove to three different stores to find it after extensive searches online. The look upon the child’s face was priceless on Christmas morning – pure joy. It is the commitment from sponsors like this that make the difference for our children and families.”

In 2008, Operation Santa served 107 children and 69 families. As abuse rates rise due to the strain on families during the economic recession, Tennyson Center expects that number to increase to more than 125 children and 75 families this year. The Center is in need of corporate and individual sponsors to help bring the magic of the holidays to all of them.

There are multiple ways to become involved in Operation Santa, including: