In the last month, there have been three horrific child heat-related deaths in Arizona.
A 10-year-old died hiking South Mountain in Phoenix, an infant died from heat-related illness while on Lake Havasu, and recently, a 2-year-old died in a car at home near Tucson.
According to state child advocacy groups, all three deaths were preventable.
“Typically when people think of how child abuse prevention happens, they think of looking for the signs of child abuse and neglect and then call the DCS hotline. But that is not prevention. That is intervention. We really want to get ahead of the problem, not just manage it," Claire Louge, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Arizona said. “When we hear about things like this, it's very natural to go to anger and to want to blame the parents for not doing something different, or why didn't they know? Why didn't they do something different to protect this child? But that judgment is not going to help prevent these things from happening."
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Every case is different. And these child deaths do provoke anger. But Louge says these deaths can be stopped.
“It's normal to kind of picture of your own children and imagine the devastation that those families are going through. First of all, my heart goes out to the families, and everyone affected by those terrible tragedies. These tragedies are preventable bottom line."
Louge says by staying vigilant in supporting families in our community, we can stop child abuse.
"We really need to shift our culture from one that is focused on surveillance and focus on this, this hyper independence that you know parents need to figure it out on their own, they should know, and they should know everything. We know that children don't come with a manual," Louge said. “We all need to come together to support the needs of families. So yes, it does take a village."
Louge says you can help families in need in extreme heat by being equipped — having spare sunscreen, extra water, or items that can provide shade.
She added, “Bottom line: children thrive when their parents are supported.”
