The Wexford-Missaukee Child Protection Council is the prevention partner of the State of Michigan’s Children Trust Michigan and national Prevent Child Abuse America that serves as a voice for the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect. This all-volunteer collaborative seeks to educate parents, caregivers and community members on various issues surrounding this growing epidemic. Our mission is to support programs, activities, and opportunities in the community through outreach, awareness, and education, that are centered on the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect, including services that promote family support, safety, and child development education. Our vision is on the importance of preventing child abuse and neglect before it happens, which then strengthens our families and our community by creating safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children.

The Prevention Coordinator’s job is to provide community outreach, awareness, and education on the importance of preventing child abuse before it happens: I attend various community collaborative meetings, share information with other organizations, work with the hospital OB department and pediatrician offices to provide program trainings, materials and information as requested, perform public speaking engagements in the community, in schools, and for Babysitting Basics classes, collaborate on community events, arrange our council’s monthly meetings, and set up informational tables at events and conferences. I work closely with the State on reporting and meeting grant and program requirements. I also contract with other agencies to provide child development, safety, and child abuse prevention education. Our council’s current outreach efforts are focused on Infant Safe Sleep, Shaken Baby Syndrome/Period of PURPLE Crying, Distracted Parenting, and education on healthy child development. Our work is focused on developing Protective Factors for families and youth through the Strengthening Families model, and on education of ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Experiences) to increase awareness of the lifelong effects of childhood trauma and the importance of resilience and building positive relationships. We also collaborate with the Cadillac Fire Department each year to plan and host the annual Child Safety Expo on 9/11

When we don’t make the healthy growth and development of our children a top priority, we jeopardize their future. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that each victim of child abuse will cost the nation more than $830,000 over the course of their lifetime. Further, our nation spends as much as $423 billion dollars annually on programs and treatment services for children after abuse has already occurred, with that number rising to $2 trillion annually when fatal victims are accounted for. However, the cost of primary prevention is 96 to 98 percent LESS than reactionary services. ---- Prevention is the right thing to do for the health and protection of our children and it offers a strong return on the investment of our future. --- We must invest more to shift our efforts from the reactionary approach of child abuse treatment to the prevention approach before a child is harmed.

We do not have office space or a staff. The Prevention Coordinator is a contracted service at 8 hours a week. Any additional hours are volunteered. All board and executive board members are community and agency volunteers. We meet monthly to plan events and exchange information. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 1031, Cadillac, MI 49601

Our base funding comes from the State of Michigan’s Children Trust Michigan. The funds come from fundraising efforts and from a restricted trust that was established by Public Act 250 in 1982. Our two-county council receives $11,000 each year to use toward programs and services for primary prevention of child abuse and neglect. To receive these funds, we must show a community match through donations. As an all-volunteer non-profit 501C (3), we rely on local donations and in-kind services. When donation amounts increase, we can meet more community needs. Donations are essential to our work.