Questions?
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• Nervousness around adults or a particular familiar person
• Strong reluctance to attend regular care situation or go home
• Sudden or dramatic change in personality or activities
• Frequent or unexplained bruises or injuries
• Aggression toward adults or other children
• Unnatural interest in sex
• Low self-esteem
• Poor hygiene

Child Abuse Risk Factors
The likelihood that abuse could occur increases along with the incidence of risk factors. Certain risk factors have been defined for all families and include:

• Substance abuse
• Physical or mental health challenges
• Difficulty managing anger or stress
• Financial difficulty or change in circumstances
• Isolation from family or other support system
• Economic, housing, employment, or relationship problems

A family that struggles with multiple risk factors should not automatically be characterized as abusive. Rather, they should be viewed with compassion and offered support and resources to improve their ability to parent and care for their children effectively. By helping parents who may be struggling, you reduce the likelihood that their children will be abused or neglected.

Education is Key

Metro Child Care Resource & Referral offers ongoing classes in Recognizing & Reporting Child Abuse & Neglect. Child Care Providers who wish to be licensed with the state of Oregon are required to take this class, but families may also attend.

Pre-Registration is required to attend a Recognizing & Reporting Child Abuse & Neglect Class. You may register online, click here to view the list of scheduled classes, or you may mail in your registration with payment. All classes are just $10.00.