Letter: Keeping North Dakota’s children safe

To the editor,

When the sirens fade, school still starts the next morning, with some children carrying more than just a backpack. When children witness something potentially traumatic at home, it does not just stay there; it follows them into the classroom. Handle with Care connects schools, law enforcement and the community to ensure that educators know when a child needs understanding, not questions, so support, safety and learning come first.

Handle with Care (HWC) is a school-community partnership program that enables law enforcement to notify school districts when they encounter a child at a traumatic scene with a short, confidential statement: “Handle ___ With Care;” no other information on the situation is provided, only the student’s name. By alerting only the educators and staff that work with the child, it allows them to be able to provide support, a safe environment and keep all information confidential.

Research has proven that trauma can undermine children’s ability to learn, form relationships, and function appropriately in the classroom. When we don’t interrupt trauma, we see kids who are more at risk of absenteeism, expulsion, dropping out and additional long-term negative outcomes. And quite the opposite is true when we implement supportive programs, like Handle with Care.

Families Flourish ND (FFND) drives this program forward across North Dakota. FFND recognizes the importance and impact of the Handle with Care program and has strong allies. In seeing the impact of the communities who are implementing HWC to fidelity, we see the strong potential it carries for every community, large and small, across the state. We work to bring it to every community by meeting with various educational groups, task forces, and community agencies. Educating on the value and the impact. These are North Dakota’s children, and they deserve it.

Frankie Piatz
Bismarck, North Dakota
Piatz is an intern with Families Flourish ND.