Direct Line: Fleet and Family Services Director, Regina Fivella

Saluti Sigonella! Being the best parent you can be involves taking steps to strengthen your family and finding support when you need it. Parenting isn’t something you have to do alone. When you have the knowledge, skills, and resources you need, you can raise a happy, healthy child. On April 1, Naval Air Station Sigonella leadership proclaimed April to be Child Abuse Prevention Month for NAS Sigonella, and called upon all Navy, Marine, Air Force, Army and NATO personnel and their families to increase their participation in our efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect, and, in so doing, strengthening the NAS Sigonella community.

This month and throughout the year, we encourage all individuals and organizations to play a role in making our community a better place for children and families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help prevent child abuse and neglect by creating strong and thriving children, youth, and families in our community. Research shows that protective factors are present in healthy families. Promoting these factors is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. The factors are:

• Nurturing and attachment

• Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development

• Parental resilience

• Social connections

• Concrete supports for parents

• Social and emotional competence of children

Dr. John Ferreira, NAS Sigonella’s Family Advocacy Representative, underscores the important role that communities have in protecting our children.

“April is a time to celebrate the important role that communities play in protecting children and strengthening families,” said Ferreira. “Everyone’s participation is critical. Focusing on ways to connect with families is the best thing our community can do to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect.”

Throughout the month of April, various community agencies hosted and will continue to hold activities to promote fun interactive opportunities for parents and children. These included USO’s Family Game Night and Teddy Bear Club. USO will also be hosting a Month of the Military Child barbeque on April 27. MWR’s Child and Youth Programs held a “Hands are Not for Hurting” parade where the Child Development Center and School Age Care came together as one large entity to spread awareness and prevention using a banner created by SAC and CDC children. The library will also be hosting a pajama night on April 26. And to round out the event lineup, the Religious Ministries program and U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella’s Health Promotion and Wellness program will be holding a joint “Five Love Languages of Children” workshop on April 25.

In addition to these efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau and over 30 national prevention partners have created 2019 Prevention Resource Guide: Strong and Thriving Families. The resource guide designed for service providers who work throughout the community to support families, is available online at https:// childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/ preventionmonth/resource-guide.

Year round, the Fleet and Family Support Center offers counseling for individuals, couples, and families to help develop healthy relationship skills and address stressful situations. In addition, we have a New Parent Support Program that assists families with children 0-3 years old to include parenting skills classes and resources. Learn more about the resources available to help protect and nurture your children by contacting the Fleet and Family Support Center at DSN: 624-4291 or 095-56-4291.