2,880 Children

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month: a time to come together as a community to raise awareness and take action for kids. 

In a single year, 2,880 children in Nebraska experienced substantiated abuse or neglect. To help show the reality of that number, CEDARS has installed a display of 2,880 child-sized footprints on our campus. 

Each footprint represents a child. 

Not a number. 
A child. 

A child with a story. A child who needed safety. A child who deserved more. 

At CEDARS, we see every day that child abuse and neglect are often rooted in overwhelming stress. Families facing challenges like financial hardship, mental health struggles, substance use, and isolation are at greater risk. Not because they don’t care, but because they don’t have the support they need. 

That’s why prevention is at the heart of our work. 

Every day, kids and their families connect with CEDARS. Some come to us in moments of crisis, needing immediate safety, care, and stability. Others engage with services designed to strengthen families before a crisis occurs. We help them build parenting skills, create positive connections, and reduce the stress that can lead to harm. 

From early childhood programs and family support services to crisis response and trauma-informed care, our work spans the full continuum, meeting kids and families where they are and walking alongside them toward safety and stability. 

Because child abuse is preventable when families are supported. 

When parents have access to resources. 
When communities show up. 
When it’s safe to ask for help. 

Each footprint on our campus is a reminder of what’s at stake, but also what’s possible. 

Together, we can create a community where every child feels safe, supported, and valued, and where fewer footprints are made each year.