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Join us for Blue Sunday

Blog by Bridget Tobin, Mission Advancement Intern, United Way for Greater Austin

The Success By 6 Coalition is a community-wide collaboration of child and family advocates – providers, parents, policymakers, civic leaders, and experts – with a shared goal to ensure every child born in the Austin area receives the support and care they deserve during their essential first 2,000 days. United Way for Greater Austin is the convener of this work in Austin/Travis County.

The Success By 6 Coalition is made up of community stakeholders collectively creating a future in which all children in our community enter Kindergarten healthy, happy, and ready to succeed in school and life. To prepare all our youngest Austinites for school readiness, we partner with nonprofits in the community to deliver impactful services through four focus areas:

  • Healthy beginnings
  • Supported families
  • High-quality care & education
  • Safe & stimulating communities

Together with our partners, we are building a stronger foundation for Austin so all families can thrive.

This year we are expanding our support of whole families by participating in Blue Sunday and raising awareness of Child Abuse Prevention Month. 

Blue Sunday is a day in which faith communities join together in prayer for children experiencing abuse and neglect. Each year this day of prayer falls on the last Sunday in April, which is recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month. This year, Blue Sunday is April 24.

Child abuse and neglect statistics in Travis County and Texas are heartbreaking:

  • In 2021 in Travis County,
    • There were 1,205 confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect under the age of 6;
    • 297 children under the age of 6 were removed from their homes; and
    • At least 3 children died from abuse or neglect.
  • In 2021 in Texas,
    • 37,206 were removed from their homes; and
    • 199 children of all ages died from abuse or neglect.
    • Confirmed neglect-related fatalities account for 64% of child maltreatment fatalities. 57% of children who died from abuse or neglect were too young for school and not enrolled in child care.

Join us on Sunday, April 24 to rally together for the children in our community and amplify our messaging around child abuse awareness and neglect prevention. The Success By 6 Coalition is partnering with churches in the Austin area to amplify this message as part of our Supported Families goal of the Success By 6 Coalition Strategic Plan. Together we can ensure families in Greater Austin have access to the resources that provide them with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and social supports to positively nurture the health, safety, and development of their children.

hands held together with the hashtag blue sunday

Please join us in supporting this initiative! Here’s how you can get involved….

If you’re a religious organization:

  • Participate in the Blue Sunday Day of Prayer on April 24 by encouraging your members to wear blue or a blue ribbon in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month and sharing Success By 6 materials on child abuse prevention strategies
  • Learn more about family support in Austin and sign up to receive more opportunities to get involved with the Success By 6 Coalition
  • Become a member of the Success By 6 Coalition, and join the next coalition orientation on April 7
  • Share more information about the support services you offer to children and families with the Success By 6 Coalition, and how the coalition can support these

If you’re a parent or caregiver (examples: child care worker, Bible school teacher, nanny, etc.):

If you’re a family service organization:

If you’re a business leader:

If you’re a Success By 6 Coalition member:

  • Share this blog with your own faith-based organization or with communities of faith in your network to raise awareness
  • Participate in Child Abuse Prevention Month by sharing Success By 6 materials on child abuse prevention strategies and effective ways to support all families in those first 2,000 days
  • On Sunday, April 24, amplify the Blue Sunday message on your organization’s channels using #BlueSunday

Learn more about the Success By 6 Coalition on our website and sign up for our newsletter to receive stories of our impact, opportunities to get involved, and updates on our strategic plan work.


Source links:

  1. Texas Department of Family & Protective Services. (2021). Fiscal Year 2021 data: CPS completed investigations victims. Retrieved from https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/About_DFPS/Data_Book/Child_Protective_Investigations/Investigations/Victims.asp
  2. Texas Department of Family & Protective Services. (2021). Fiscal Year 2021 data: CPS removals. Retrieved from https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/About_DFPS/Data_Book/Child_Protective_Services/Conservatorship/Removals.asp
  3. Texas Department of Family & Protective Services. (2022). Fiscal Year 2021 data: Child Maltreatment Fatalities and Near Fatalities Annual Report. Available at https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/About_DFPS/Reports_and_Presentations/PEI/documents/2022/2022-03-01_Child_Maltreatment_Fatalities_and_Near_Fatalities_Annual_Report.pdf

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