A TCI Blog: Child Abuse Prevention Month: Supporting Survivors & their Caregivers

By: Shelly Martinez, SLV CAC Program Director

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Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM) is a time to highlight the importance of individuals and communities working together to prevent child abuse. Our goal is to increase awareness about child abuse and neglect and to decrease it from occurring. During 2023 in the San Luis Valley, 1072 child abuse reports were made to the Colorado Department of Human Services.


The Family First Services Act was signed into law as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act on February 9, 2018. The purpose of the act is to provide local child welfare agencies federal funding to pay for services that keep kids safe and growing up with their families.


Children do best when they grow with their own families and remain safely connected to their family and community. Effective prevention strategies that reduce risk factors and build protective factors are vital to help whole families thrive and prevent child abuse and neglect and family separation (Child Information Gateway). Children are most likely to thrive when their family has the support they need. 


The Children’s Advocacy Center of the San Luis Valley (SLV CAC) can be a resource for families to help in guiding them to keep their children safe. There are times that a child is referred to the SLV CAC and the allegations in their case are not accurate. This family will receive the same advocacy as a family that the allegations were accurate. An SLV CAC Family Advocate will meet with the family, provide an Adverse Childhood Experiences evaluation, talk with them about shelter, food, clothing, financial and counseling needs.


No family should be expected to raise their children completely alone, without support. The SLV CAC works to support this vision by collaborating with many SLV community agencies to help support the families of the San Luis Valley. 

Collaborating agencies include:

  • San Luis Valley Behavioral Health. Collaboration with this agency includes referrals for services, venues for meetings and food for meetings that repeat.
  • SLV Departments of Human/Social Services. Collaboration with these agencies includes referrals from the agency and financial services in the home.
  • Immigrant Resource Center. Collaboration with this agency includes a continued support system with an advocate from the agency. 
  • Adams State University. Collaboration with ASU includes ongoing outreach about our services to the students and faculty. 
  • SLV Law Enforcement and Law Enforcement Victim Advocates. Collaboration with these agencies supports families in helping them feel safe and heard. 
  • Center for Restorative Programs. Collaboration with this agency provides families with additional support and some financial assistance.
  • 12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and their Victims Advocates. Collaboration with this agency provides families with judicial support as they navigate though that system.
  • Blue Peaks Developmental Services. Collaboration with this agency provides families with resources, support and direct services, if they qualify. 

All of these resources come with the same goal but different ways to help and support families. Together, we are a cohesive team of professionals working to help prevent child abuse in our community.


The SLV CAC can help parents/caregivers of child survivors by offering support and assistance through the criminal justice process. Our Forensic Interviewers are trained to offer neutral and non-leading, trauma-informed and child-focused interviews to aid Law Enforcement in their investigations of suspected and reported child sexual abuse. Our Family Advocates are meant to be a resource for you and your family; your Family Advocate will be with you as long as you need to guide you and your family through the system no matter what direction your case takes. They will help find resources and serve as your voice with other community partners when you feel like you are not being heard.