BAKERSFIELD, CA - April is recognized as Child Abuse Awareness Month. The Kern County Network for Children reports more than 4,000 children were victims of abuse in 2012.
A ceremony will be held Friday morning morning for local children who died last year because of violence. It's a reminder of the issue and how important it is to report abuse before it gets to this extreme point.
Olivia Kent was put in foster care when she was eight years old because she was a victim of child abuse.
"We lived in a two bedroom house with 6 people and there was people running in and out of the house and there wasn't really clean. It wasn't a clean living environment, not very much food in it. My parents couldn't really take care of me and my siblings," said Kent.
She says getting out of the situation changed her life.
"What was normal to me when I was living with my parents wasn't normal in everyday life for other people and I started doing better in school, I started getting more involved in my community," said Kent.
Kern County Network for Children Executive Director Tom Corson says the majority of child abuse cases in the county are general neglect.
Corson said, "When we look at some of the factors of general neglect that includes things like poverty, substance abuse, and other issues, we know that those issues tend to be inter-generational. We see things get handed down from parent to child."
Kent was able to break that cycle. Now, at 23-years-old, she is a foster youth advocate and is fostering her younger cousin.
"I think my personal experience did have a lot to do with it and then also me working here at the Dream Center and saw other youths' stories and everything else," said Kent.
She says it's necessary to recognize and report abuse.
"It can change their life and just changing that one youth's life, it can make the world of difference. They can be the next president, they can be the person that nobody every thought they would be," Kent said.
The flag will be raised Friday at 8:30am at the Human Services building on California Avenue to remember children who lost their lives to abuse.
A ceremony will be held Friday morning morning for local children who died last year because of violence. It's a reminder of the issue and how important it is to report abuse before it gets to this extreme point.
Olivia Kent was put in foster care when she was eight years old because she was a victim of child abuse.
"We lived in a two bedroom house with 6 people and there was people running in and out of the house and there wasn't really clean. It wasn't a clean living environment, not very much food in it. My parents couldn't really take care of me and my siblings," said Kent.
She says getting out of the situation changed her life.
"What was normal to me when I was living with my parents wasn't normal in everyday life for other people and I started doing better in school, I started getting more involved in my community," said Kent.
Kern County Network for Children Executive Director Tom Corson says the majority of child abuse cases in the county are general neglect.
Corson said, "When we look at some of the factors of general neglect that includes things like poverty, substance abuse, and other issues, we know that those issues tend to be inter-generational. We see things get handed down from parent to child."
Kent was able to break that cycle. Now, at 23-years-old, she is a foster youth advocate and is fostering her younger cousin.
"I think my personal experience did have a lot to do with it and then also me working here at the Dream Center and saw other youths' stories and everything else," said Kent.
She says it's necessary to recognize and report abuse.
"It can change their life and just changing that one youth's life, it can make the world of difference. They can be the next president, they can be the person that nobody every thought they would be," Kent said.
The flag will be raised Friday at 8:30am at the Human Services building on California Avenue to remember children who lost their lives to abuse.