Child abuse and neglect often takes place in the home and comes from a person the child knows well. The major types of child maltreatment include neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse.
Last year, there were 159 substantiated victims of child abuse and neglect in Napa Valley. This number is likely closer to 500, because child abuse is greatly under reported.
Every April, we commemorate Blue Ribbon Month by raising awareness about child abuse and neglect. It is important that we, as a community, better understand child abuse so we can work together to keep children safe and build a strong and nurturing community for all children.