The Week of Our Children

Child abuse continues to be a terrible problem in our society after decades of attempts to end it.  For children living in abusive environments, there is no reprieve from the pain during the holidays. In fact, for many children abuse intensifies.  While we all celebrate the holidays and consider it a magical time for children, we need to understand that for some children the holidays are a time of abuse and neglect.  In 1984 the State of Oregon proclaimed an annual observance of the “Week of Our Children” during the holiday season to remind everyone to work together to stamp out child abuse and help children who have been victims.  Our agency initiated this observance, and each year we hold a variety of community activities to remember the children who suffer in silence.