Community organizations urge awareness at child abuse prevention rally at Michigan Capitol

Demetrius Starling, the senior deputy director for Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' (MDHHS) Children’s Services Administration (CSA) speaks at a Child Abuse Prevention rally in front of the Michigan Capitol Building on April 15, 2025. | Photo: Anna Liz Nichols

The best tool to combat the problem of child abuse is to prevent it from happening in the first place and that starts with awareness, violence prevention advocates said on the Michigan Capitol steps during a Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Day rally on Tuesday.

In-school violence educators and members of the criminal justice system gathered together during National Child Abuse Awareness Month to call attention to the importance of shining a light on violence against children so communities can respond more proactively to abuse.

Child abuse is not an issue, it’s a crisis, Senior Deputy Director for Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS) Children’s Services Administration Demetrius Starling told the crowd outside the Capitol. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowlege child abuse and neglect as “serious public health problems” which can have lifelong negative impacts on a person’s health and opportunities. Physical harm, psychological abuse and sexual violence are all forms of child abuse that impact hundreds of millions of children globally, according to the World Health Organization.

Child abuse is an every day problem that the adults in charge can’t afford to ignore, Starling said. About one in six of Michigan’s children experience abuse or neglect, according to Michigan state data.

“As a society, we have a moral obligation to protect children from harm. That’s not rocket science. Preventing child abuse is a collective responsibility that reflects our values and commitment to human rights. Children are the future for our communities, and ensuring that safety and well being is essential for the continued growth and development of our society,” Starling said. “Community awareness events play an important role in preventing child abuse and neglect by educating the public about available programs services and critical topics such as parent education.”

And those programs are being utilized, Starling said, noting that in 2024, the Michigan Children’s Trust Fund, a statewide nonprofit group funding child abuse prevention programming, partnered with community groups to organize 531 community awareness events which reached over 75,000 people.

Eliminating child abuse can’t simply be reactionary, though understanding the signs of abuse and neglect and reporting systems is valuable, Starling said. To truly fight child abuse, prevention has to be the focus.

And that can be hard to make people understand, Michigan Children’s Trust Fund Board Chair Amy Tattrie Loepp told attendees at the rally Tuesday.

“Prevention is a really tough thing to get funded, because how do you prove that something didn’t happen,” Tarrie Loepp said.

It’s easier to get programs that respond to violence funded than prevention measures, Loepp said, but ultimately empowering schools, communities and families to heal and learn how to end cycles of violence saves the state money in responding to violence and creates a society where the smallest Michiganders can live with better opportunities.