Advocates and leaders meet at child abuse prevention symposium

GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV)- Canopy Children’s Solution’s Child Advocacy Center is joining forces with the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services to address how the public can better approach child abuse prevention and healing.

Community leaders and service providers gathered in Gulfport Wednesday to discuss how collaboration can make a difference.

At the Knight Nonprofit Center, multiple speakers highlighted vital roles each organization plays in protecting children and supporting their recovery.

Every agency and community partner is a crucial piece of the puzzle in preventing abuse and helping children heal. SMCAC Director Maria Voights said, “I hope that we get an education on what each other does, the roles that we play, our limitations that we have with each other and how we can better work together so that we are working as a team for the benefit of child outcomes rather than causing undue delay. Ultimately, what we are trying to do is educate everybody and get them to understand what it takes to not only react quickly and timely to child abuse, but to ultimately prevent it”

They emphasized that working together is the only way to create a lasting change in the fight against child abuse.

Together, these efforts create a stronger safety next for children in Mississippi.