Facts

1. Kids are great
They deserve and should expect to be loved and wanted to be fed, sheltered and clothed to have the opportunity to grow to be safe with the people they trust. Unfortunately, for over 107,000 children in North Carolina, the reverse is true - - a reality underscored by these facts:

• one out of four females is sexually abused before the age of 18.
• each day, over 8,000 American children are reported to be maltreated. 50% of the children reported are under 5 years old.
• each year, 2,000 - 5,000 children die in the United States from abuse.
• each year, Exchange/SCAN receives over 700 calls.

 

2.Parenting Is Hard
Being a parent is one of the toughest jobs a person will have in his/her lifetime. Under enough stress, many parents can lose control and abuse a child -- physically, emotionally, sexually or verbally. For some parents, it's easy to lose control because:

• they were abused themselves as children;
• they are socially isolated;
• they lack skills to cope with life's many problems;
• they have an alcohol or drug problem;
• they lack basic skills in child development and discipline; or they expect too much from their children.

No one ever said being a parent was easy. And, unfortunately, you can't go to school and get a degree in good parenting. But you're not alone. At Exchange/SCAN we're here to help -- confidentially.