( BLACK PR WIRE) ( April 10, 2008) At this time of year, many people think of planting a garden or even a few flowers in a window box. Sowing seeds – sometimes in barren, unforgiving ground – and nurturing and nourishing them to grow strong requires dedication and care. Even the seedlings of mighty oaks are fragile and easily broken, stunted or prone to wither if conditions are not right. Like seedlings easily trampled under foot, children also need care and nurturing to flower, to grow strong in character, to become firmly rooted contributors to community and country. Loving care, through mentoring and advocating for our vulnerable youngsters can make the critical difference in their lives.

By volunteering just a small fraction of time, we can change the lives of our children in crisis; we can change the future and the landscape of underserved communities with the flowering of the next generation. It takes just one caring person to plant the seeds of hope, self-worth and success in a child's heart and become a source of light that will make a difference in that youngster's life and our own.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. Each day, more than 9,000 children are reported abused or neglected throughout the United States, and unfortunately, a disproportionately large number of them are African-American. Accordingly, two powerful women, Judge Glenda A. Hatchett, presiding judge of the nationally-syndicated court television series, Judge Hatchett, and Susan L. Taylor, editor-in-chief emerita of Essence magazine (after 37 years) and founder of the National Cares Mentoring Movement to which she is dedicating her life to, have joined voices with the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association (www.nationalcasa.org) to raise awareness on this prevalent issue.

Children who have been abused and neglected may suffer not only from physical wounds, but also emotional ones. Most often they suffer from very low self-esteem and have behavioral problems in school and society. While in the foster care system, children are frequently moved from home to home and sometimes live in group homes until they are reunited with their families or are adopted. Many just join the ranks of the more than 20,000 children each year who “age out” of the system when they turn 18.

Sadly, so many who've been foster children are held prisoner from the trauma in their childhood for the rest of their lives. How the vulnerable young fare in the foster care system often depends on having someone speaking up for them and on their behalf. So on behalf of the children in need, Judge Hatchett and Susan L. Taylor are sharing powerful tips on preventing child abuse and highlighting the importance of child advocacy and the power of mentoring.


JUDGE GLENDA A. HATCHETT – “Planting the Seed of Hopefulness”

I am often asked why I am so passionate about children, particularly those who have been victims of child abuse and neglect and my response is that our children are all we have with which to build a strong, new generation of men and women. As a judge, I have seen countless faces of children who have come through my courtroom as a result of abuse and neglect who end up with delinquency records because they are acting out because of deep emotional issues. It is easy for some of us to write these children off and say that they are terrible kids but honestly, these children have been hurt – physically and mentally. While this does not justify their behavior, you can never cure their behavior unless you understand it and choose to do something about it.

During my time as the Chief Presiding Judge of the Fulton County Juvenile Court in Atlanta, Georgia, I was disturbed by how many people knew that child abuse was occurring in a home but chose not to say anything about it. Often times, many of these people would later return to my courtroom and say that they wished they had spoken up. However, by that time the damage had already been done. As a result, I often wondered how the outcomes could have been different had someone, anyone picked up the phone and chosen not to remain silent. If they had not ignored the sounds of a six month old child being thrown against the wall by his alcoholic mother or had not turned their head to what they thought could have been abusive behavior, what would that child’s life be like today? Would they not have the deep emotional scars from which so many abused and neglected children suffer? Or maybe that same child would not have ended up returning to my courtroom again later in life – first as a victim of abuse and then appearing later as a juvenile defendant for victimizing someone else. Unfortunately, when we don’t speak up, we may be contributing to the deep cycle of pain and destruction.

Along with trumpeting this issue in our community we must also encourage parents to step back, take a deep breath and never punish a child when they are angry and out of control. This is where I have seen so many people cross the line. Many parents have lost their tempers in a moment of anger and their anger has gone from punishment to abuse. As a parent myself, I understand the responsibilities of parenting and that it can be overwhelming at times. I strongly encourage parents who are overwhelmed or who need help in developing positive approached to parenting to ask for help – there is no shame in doing so. It is much better to seek help than for a child to ultimately become a victim of child abuse.

If we want our children to do the right things, then we have to do the right things by them. If we don’t stand up and speak up, the effects may well be devastating. As adults, we have the responsibility to be the voices for children who are not in a position to lift their own voices and when it comes to the issues of child abuse and neglect. This is why CASA is so critical. Court Appointed Special Advocates or CASA volunteers are individuals who make up a “village within a village”. They are the everyday heroes whose goal is to find a safe, permanent and loving home for a child in the child welfare system. The goal of National CASA is to put a caring adult in each child’s situation. This adult provides an additional level of advocacy for the child because the adult functions as an extra set of eyes and ears for the court to fully understand the child and his or her situation. Most importantly, the child advocate provides a nurturing and caring heart for each individual child in foster care.

When it comes to planting seeds of success in our young children, I absolutely believe that we have to plant the seed of hopefulness in them, especially those who have been victims of child abuse or neglect. We must give these children reasons to be hopeful and for them to believe that great things are possible in their lives. Young people must understand that their past does not have to define what their future lives can be. When children gain a sense of possibility and an understanding that they are great and others are cheering them on, they are able to tap into their full potential.

CASA volunteers are some of the ‘gardeners of the world’ who plant these wonderful seeds of hope in our young people. Because of organizations like CASA, and despite national statistics, I am encouraged and remain hopeful for the future. If we can be more proactive in preventing child abuse then fewer of our children will enter the system in the first place. However, if we continue to keep silent about the abuse and neglect that our children endure, then we know what the future will hold – and we will reap what we sow.

For more information about National CASA or the local CASA program in your area, call 1-888-805-8457 visit online at www.nationalcasa.org.

Judge Glenda A. Hatchett, author of Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say!, and the presiding judge of the nationally-syndicated court television series, Judge Hatchett, which is in its eighth season, is the national spokesperson for the National CASA Association.



SUSAN L. TAYLOR – “Mentoring Works Miracles; Mentoring Save Lives”

We all had a caring person in our lives who helped us grow to where we are today. Young people--even those most challenged--thrive when caring adults show interest in them, encourage them and introduce them to a wider world of options than the narrow painful places too many Black children call home today. A child in crisis--as a result of physical or emotional abuse, neglect and other risk factors--needn't become another statistic related to a life loss on the nightly news. Not on our watch! With far less than we have, our grandparents harnessed their resources, gave of their time and opened their hearts to assist the vulnerable children in their communities. This is the task at hand for us for us today. Many of us see it as the most important work of our lives. These are our beloved children in crisis, and we are their lifeline. We are their only hope. Mentoring a youngster for just four hours a month can save a life.

After Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005 and we could not take the annual Essence Music Festival back to the city over the July 4th weekend, we moved the 2006 fest to Houston. I thought about what I might ask of the 250,000 Black people who would gather in Houston to enjoy the festivities--attending the Empowerment Seminars during the day and the concerts at night--that would make a difference in the life of our community. It occurred to me that today's caring African Americans could advance the commitment of our fore parents by working together to mount the largest mentoring movement in the history of the nation. Through mentoring relationships we could solve the escalating crisis among our young in peril.

I reached out to celebrities, civil rights leaders, civic leaders, faith-based leaders, and leadership from prominent organizations that serve the African-American community. No one refused; they and many others traveled to Houston at their own expense. It was moving and inspiring to see people change their holiday plans to help issue the call to commitment to the community. What was founded in Houston as Essence Cares has grown today to become the National Cares Mentoring Movement.

The National Cares Mentoring Movement is not another organization competing with any existing ones. This is a mentor-recruitment movement, a call to commitment to inspire and mobilize massive numbers of able, stable Black people, from college students to retirees, and connect them with existing local mentoring organizations and other entities serving and elevating our vulnerable young. Linking arms and aims we can supporting challenged families. Mentoring works miracles and it doesn't cost a dime.

Most mentoring organizations ask that volunteers devote to their mentees a minimum of just four hours a month--much less time than we spend watching TV or shopping. Just log on to caresmentoring.com, input your zip code and a list of vetted mentoring organizations in your area, supplied by MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, will appear on the screen. Select one and sign up. That's all it takes to get connected. There are many types of mentoring opportunities--from in-school to faith-based groups. You can be proactive and gather some friends and group mentor youngsters in a group home.

No organization working on behalf of at-risk children has a greater need for volunteers than National CASA, a dedicated partner of the Cares movement. National CASA supports the courts in protecting children in the foster care system, where there are a disproportionate number of African-American children and abuse is rampant.



Like entrenched poverty, failed public education and the flood of drugs in underserved communities, the issue of child abuse continues to fracture young lives So many children are languishing, so many parents are overwhelmed and in despair. Indigent parents especially need help. Being a parent is the most important role that any of us will fulfill in our lifetime and yet most of us come to the task ignorant. If we had more supports for families under extreme pressure, we wouldn’t have the level of child abuse that will only worsen as the impact of the shrinking economy continues to mount. When parents are pressured, squeezed together in small environments, when they lack hope and opportunity and are struggling to keep the roof over their family's head and food on the table, children may feel the worst effects of their stress. We must hold our elected officials responsible for delivering what they all promise when running for office, "Families come first!."

Children in peril need us. The beautiful brown faces of our young--tearstained and frightened--are crying out for help. We've got to move beyond just talking, writing and conferencing about the tragedy. The urgent need is for us to act! And none in our society are more defenseless than the more than 513,000 in the foster care system. Neither the government nor the corporate world will secure the mothers and fathers of our tomorrow. This is our work – by mentoring and advocating for them. What's needed is all hands on deck!

For more information about National CASA or the local CASA program in your area, call 1-888-805-8457 visit online at www.nationalcasa.org. To learn more about the National Cares Mentoring Movement and become a mentor call 404-584-2744 or log on to www.caresmentoring.com.

Susan L. Taylor is the editor-in-chief emerita of Essence magazine where she served for over four decades. She is the author of four books. Her most recent book is All About Love: Favorite Selections from In the Spirit on Living Fearlessly. She is currently traveling across the country to raise awareness on the National Cares Mentoring Movement and is a sought-after speaker delivering inspiring messages of hope and possibility.

Editor’s Note: Please feel free to use both pieces together or in a series during the month of April. Headshots available upon request.