Home > Strengthening Families and Communities: 2009 Resource Guide > Chapter 3: Engaging Your Community - Sample Letter to Legislators

Strengthening Families and Communities: 2009 Resource Guide

Author(s):  Child Welfare Information Gateway, Children's Bureau, FRIENDS National Resource Center For Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention

Year Published:  2009

Email Order (Free)  Print  (PDF 2674 KB)  Share

We value your opinion!
Please comment on this publication by taking our brief survey. Your answers are anonymous and will help us better meet your future information needs. Give Us Feedback on This Publication

previous

You are in section: Table of Contents Letter From the Children’s Bureau About the Resource Guide Protective Factors for Strengthening… Levers for Change: Deepening and Sustaining… Using Evidence to Support Efforts… Promoting the Five Protective… Nurturing and Attachment Knowledge of Parenting and… Parental Resilience Social Connections Concrete Supports for Parents Tools for Engaging Your Community Engaging Community Partners Tips for Working With Specific Groups Talking Points Temas de conversación Sample Press Release for National… Ejemplo de boletín de prensa Sample Public Service Announcements Ejemplo de anuncio de servicio público… Sample Letter to Legislators Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Child Maltreatment National Child Abuse Prevention Partners Federal Interagency Work Group on Child… Using the Tip Sheets for Parents and Caregivers Bonding With Your Baby Usted y su bebé: El lazo que los une Dealing With Temper Tantrums Los berrinches Connecting With Your Teen Cómo relacionarse con su hijo adolescente Teen Parents...You’re Not Alone! Hay muchos padres adolescentes como usted Ten Ways to Be a Better Dad Diez maneras de ser un mejor padre Raising Your Grandchildren Cómo criar al hijo de un pariente

next

Chapter 3: Engaging Your Community
Sample Letter to Legislators

The Honorable [Legislator's Name]
[Office mailing address]

Dear [Member of Congress/State Representative/City Council Member]:

[Paragraph 1: State purpose of the letter.]

I would like to encourage you to support initiatives that strengthen families and communities in order to prevent child abuse. This issue is urgent. In 2006, an estimated 905,000 children were victims of child abuse or neglect in the United States. Of those, approximately [insert State statistic from Child Maltreatment 2006] were here in [your State]. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, which calls attention to the importance of preventing all forms of child maltreatment by strengthening families and communities.

[Paragraph 2: State the position supported.]

Children thrive when their caregivers have the knowledge, skills, and resources to help them grow and protect them from harm. Research has shown that five factors, when present in families, are effective in protecting children against the risk of child abuse and neglect. These critical protective factors are:

• Nurturing and attachment
  
  
• Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development
  
  
• Parental resilience
  
  
• Social connections
  
  
• Concrete supports for parents
  
  

The best way to effect lasting change for children and families is to work together in broad-based partnerships that promote these protective factors and make our communities more supportive of parents and caregivers.

[Paragraph 3: Describe action requested.]

[Congress/Our State Legislature/Our City Council] has the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and families by supporting [specific community-building activities, bills, or funding initiatives needing immediate support]. I urge you to voice your support for this important cause not only during National Child Abuse Prevention Month, but throughout the year.

We are sponsoring [Child Abuse Prevention Month event] on [date] at [location]. We welcome your participation. If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact me at [phone number and email address]. Thank you for your attention to this critical issue and for all of your work on behalf of our community's children and families.

Sincerely yours,
[Signature]

(Back to Top)

previous

You are in section: Table of Contents Letter From the Children’s Bureau About the Resource Guide Protective Factors for Strengthening… Levers for Change: Deepening and Sustaining… Using Evidence to Support Efforts… Promoting the Five Protective… Nurturing and Attachment Knowledge of Parenting and… Parental Resilience Social Connections Concrete Supports for Parents Tools for Engaging Your Community Engaging Community Partners Tips for Working With Specific Groups Talking Points Temas de conversación Sample Press Release for National… Ejemplo de boletín de prensa Sample Public Service Announcements Ejemplo de anuncio de servicio público… Sample Letter to Legislators Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Child Maltreatment National Child Abuse Prevention Partners Federal Interagency Work Group on Child… Using the Tip Sheets for Parents and Caregivers Bonding With Your Baby Usted y su bebé: El lazo que los une Dealing With Temper Tantrums Los berrinches Connecting With Your Teen Cómo relacionarse con su hijo adolescente Teen Parents...You’re Not Alone! Hay muchos padres adolescentes como usted Ten Ways to Be a Better Dad Diez maneras de ser un mejor padre Raising Your Grandchildren Cómo criar al hijo de un pariente

next

To view or order materials available from the 2009 Resource Guide, please visit our website at: http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/res_guide_2009/

We value your opinion!
Please comment on this publication by taking our brief survey. Your answers are anonymous and will help us better meet your future information needs. Give Us Feedback on This Publication

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Email Order (Free)  Print  (PDF 2674 KB)  Share

Updated on October 9, 2009