April has been proclaimed as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Child abuse comes in many forms, and though visible scars may fade, the longterm psychological damage could haunt a child for life.

Every child deserves to have a loving and supportive home life that nurtures his or her development; however, child abuse and neglect continue to negatively impact the formative years of many children across all ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

Protecting our children is one of our highest priorities. This responsibility belongs to everyone. It is vital that we all do our part to ensure that our youth are safe and given the opportunity to have happy childhoods.

There are no excuses for child abuse or neglect. Therefore it is critical that residents, neighborhood groups, community organizations, schools, businesses, government resources, social service and others come together to form a network of awareness and support that can reach out to those in need and identify the signs of child abuse.

I commend these various groups and individuals for their continual hard work and lasting commitment to protecting our children and strengthening families.

On April 5, the city of Clearlake proclaimed April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. I urge all communities throughout Lake County to join together in fighting child abuse. By raising awareness of this issue and standing up for the safety of children, we can prevent child abuse and allow our young ones to look forward to bright futures.

Judy Thein is mayor of the city of Clearlake.