Child abuse prevention group targets mothers, even though all the child murders in the area were by boyfriends and fathers (Glens Falls, New York)

This is typical misogynist crap. Men aren't responsible for their violence against children, but women are responsible for the men because they made "bad choices." Same old, same old. Men are never responsible for their abusive behavior, but women are responsible for somehow controlling and monitoring the men.

This is a culture which totally guilt-trips mothers every day into "involving" the father (or father figure), and how single moms are worthless garbage unless they have that "golden male role model" around. And then when they do get that Daddy Figure around, just as their instructed to do, they're blamed for the actions of these "golden male role models."

How much you want to bet that these same players are totally supportive of fatherhood promotion programs? The same ones that push mandatory visitation and father custody?

http://poststar.com/news/local/group-seeks-to-address-child-abuse/article_e7241fbe-14db-11e3-96cd-0019bb2963f4.html

Group seeks to address child abuse

19 hours ago • DON LEHMAN

A grass-roots coalition of local residents is starting a parental mentoring program to address a cycle of child abuse that has played a part in three child homicides over the past 18 months.

A bi-county group calling itself Community Child Abuse Prevention Task Force organized in recent months and is seeking ways to help parents and children.

Made up of volunteers from around the region, and guided by Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan, state Sen. Elizabeth Little, Glens Falls YMCA, Wait House, school leaders and other regional organizations, the task force is exploring ways to address the child abuse problem in Warren and Washington counties.

The first product of its efforts will be a mentoring program designed to help young mothers by having volunteers work with them and provide guidance, Hogan said.

One of the co-organizers, Deb Piro, associate executive director of the YMCA, said the program will reach out to women who may not have experienced good parenting during their upbringing by offering guidance for giving their children better lives.

While the program is in its infancy, and there is no timetable for the mentoring effort to start, Piro said the group will work with schools, Sexual Trauma & Recovery Services, Warren-Washington Child Advocacy Resource and Education (CARE) Center and others to get the word out to those who can benefit from the program.

“We’re still very early in the process, but we think this is a wonderful opportunity for our community,” Piro said.

Hogan said the goal is to give young parents positive role models who can help them make good decisions. It is based on programs used successfully in other parts of the country, including one started through a YMCA in Greensborough, N.C.

“The sad part is a lot of people have no idea what good parenting is because they never had it,” Little said.

The effort began late last year, after the death of 5-year-old Glens Falls resident Gary Carpenter at the hands of his mother’s boyfriend. Hogan said it became clear Carpenter’s mother, Jennie Mattison, could have benefitted from positive role models who could have helped her make better choices.

The group, consisting of 15 or so volunteers, has met periodically, and the killing last month of a 3-month-old Fort Edward boy, allegedly by his father, has reinforced the need for intervention.

Little, R-Queensbury, said she has worked to pass legislation to address child abuse with more comprehensive laws. She said funding may be available to help the new mentoring program, and a similar program exists in Clinton County.

Hogan said the task force’s efforts began in the fall when Rick Emanuel, publisher of The Post-Star, contacted her after Carpenter’s death, looking to work toward addressing child abuse.

Hogan said she also was contacted by representatives of the Glens Falls YMCA, who sought to offer assistance to address the issue, and the effort was born.

Emanuel also sits on the YMCA’s board of directors. Emanuel said a “very passionate group of people” has been put together that is dedicated to bringing attention to the problem and combating it.

“The issue of child abuse in Warren and Washington counties has become so prevalent that everyone must stop and take notice,” he said.