Houston Newsmakers April 9: Houston agencies work to end child abuse

HOUSTON – April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. For 34 years, this month has been set aside to call attention to the children being abused every day.

There were 67,000 confirmed cases in Texas in 2015, with 171 losing their lives. The ESCAPE Family Resource Center focuses on teaching parenting skills to stop abuse before it has a chance to start.

“We have 11 different classes, and we teach all over the area,” said Fritz Guthrie, the CEO of ESCAPE Family Resource Center.  “We work with five school districts in six or seven counties; have 49 part-time educators who are out there teaching every day, teaching someone in English and in Spanish ways to prevent child abuse.”

Guthrie represents just one of the organizations focused on child abuse prevention on this week’s "Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall."

ALSO

Child Advocates trains volunteers to speak in court on behalf of abused children. Kathy Nevarez is the program director and says even as they see horrific results of abuse, the focus stays on what’s best for the children.

“With our kids it’s important to teach them that what happened to them was wrong, and ultimately we need to do everything we can to help them be productive successful adults,” she said. “Most importantly, that they be loving and protective parents to their own children one day.”  

AND

Rania Mankarious is Executive Director of Crime Stoppers of Houston. They are working with law enforcement to put a stop to child abuse.

“You do not have the right to lay hands on a child, sexually, physically, to batter them emotionally,” she said. “We’re trying to show that we will use the full force of Crime Stoppers, the full force of our media relationships, which are incredibly powerful, and the law to find these people and bring them to justice.” 

The push to bring Asian movie-making to Houston is also a topic on this week’s "Houston Newsmakers."

"Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall," Sunday at 10 a.m. right after "Meet the Press" on KPRC Channel 2.

Kathy Nevarez, Program Director, Child Advocates, 713-529-1396, http://www.childadvocates.org

Twitter: @ChildAdvoHou

Rania Mankarious, Executive Director Crime Stoppers of Houston, 713-521-4600 www.crime-stoppers.org  

Twitter: @CrimeStopHou

Fritz Guthrie, CEO ESCAPE Family Resource Center, 713-942-9500, www.learntoparent.org 

Kevin Wu, Actor, www.worldfest.com