A Christmas for abused children where you live.
I have met invisible young children in suicide wards and sat in emergency rooms at 2 a.m. holding the hand of a child who flinched at every sudden sound, because of the things done to her at home. I have watched little ones arrive at foster homes with all their belongings in a trash bag, eyes wide and silent, trying to be “good” so no one will send them away again. I have seen teenagers scream, swear, and hit people, when what they really were was traumatized, terrified, and broken.
So this year, my Christmas wish is simple:
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That no child lies awake afraid of violent, abusive caregivers doing terrible things to them or their brothers and sisters.
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That no child lives life feeding and caring for younger siblings because parents are unable to.
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That no child has to confess to CPS workers their stories of rape, violence, and other repeated abuse and neglect.
I wish for:
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Community awareness and support for safe homes where children’s basic needs are met without question: food in the fridge, heat in the winter, a bed of their own, and adults who notice when a child is hurting.
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Schools that understand trauma and respond with patience, not punishment, when “bad behavior” is really fear, grief, or shame that comes from awful things done to them.
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Courts and agencies that move with urgency, resources, and compassion so children do not spend years in limbo, sleep in emergency rooms and child protection offices, waiting for adults to see that they are important enough to be cared for.
From the eyes of a child protection worker, the best gifts are not wrapped:
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A caseworker who has enough time to really listen and not rush through another visit.
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A foster parent who stays through the terrible days, not just the easy ones.
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A therapist who understands trauma and never blames a child for the ways they learned to survive.
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A teacher, neighbor, coach, or relative who believes a child the first time they speak up about abuse.
- An informed community that “maltreatment” in CPS isn’t singular troubling incidents, but repeated rapes, violence, and neglect committed against babies, toddlers, and defenseless children.
My Christmas wish is that my community begin to see these invisible children and speak out for them because they know abused and neglected children don’t have a voice in their homes, the courts, the media, or the State House.
If you are reading this, you can be part of that wish:
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Learn how to recognize and report abuse and neglect.
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Support families under stress with real help: childcare, meals, listening, and connection.
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Volunteer, mentor, become a foster parent if you can, or support those who already are.
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Use your voice to push for better laws, more resources, and greater transparency in child protection systems.
After 30 years, one truth remains: children heal in the presence of safe, consistent, caring adults. This Christmas, my wish is that every abused and neglected child finds at least one person who will stand beside them, speak for them, believe them, and refuse to give up on them.
For them, that would be a miracle far greater than anything under a tree.
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KIDS AT RISK ACTION/KARA/INVISIBLE CHILDREN
