A federal law aims to protect children. Here are three steps to make the most of it in NC.

The number of blue pinwheels on lawns, in public spaces and pinned to lapels makes an impressive display every April. It is an important way to create awareness for National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

But mistreated children across North Carolina need more than awareness. They need adults to act.

The good news is that North Carolina is well on its way to using federal legislation to make sweeping changes to its own child welfare system. The Family First Prevention Services Act, signed as part of the bipartisan budget bill of 2018, helps keep children safe with their families and avoid the trauma of being unnecessarily separated from parents. It is the first major national reform focused on improving child well-being by investing in prevention and early intervention services. It strengthens systems that support children and families, such as mental health services, substance abuse treatment and programs for building parenting skills.

North Carolina wisely elected to wait to implement the foster care prevention and congregate care provisions of the law until this September, which gives policymakers time to develop a plan to keep children with their families. The most effective approaches build on what we know works and fill gaps in North Carolina. They offer mental health and substance abuse support or provide in-home visits that enhance parenting and benefit kids.

I grew up in North Carolina and have worked for 30 years to improve child well-being. From years of experience working with organizations that have boots on the ground, I have learned there are a few things that would maximize the impact of this historic legislation.

First, focus on families. Policymakers and advocates must put families at the core of this work. That includes reimagining what a family unit looks like. Nurturing families are an irreplaceable and stabilizing force in a child’s life, whether they are adoptive, foster, kinship, biological or single parent.

To ensure all children in the Carolinas grow up safe from maltreatment and reach their full potential, families must be given the tools to support child well-being. For example, programs that coach parents to respond to their child’s unique needs with effective communication and appropriate discipline can improve the child’s mental health and strengthen the familial bond. These types of skill-building programs are especially critical after the incredible economic, emotional and physical strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been so hard on children and adults alike.

Second, start early. Research shows that early intervention can change the trajectory of a child’s life, which is why so many successful efforts focus on families where maltreatment has occurred, or is an imminent threat, to children aged 8 and younger. By prioritizing this age group, problems can be identified and solved earlier. It gives children of all races and backgrounds a better chance at lifelong success.

Finally, listen to families. Each one is different, and most know what they need to survive and thrive. When people voice what they need to care for themselves and their children, it is wise to listen. This is especially true for increasing equity in child well-being because the long-term effects of structural racism have not always been discussed and have fueled disparities in the child welfare system.

This moment is an inflection point for children and families in North Carolina. I applaud the state’s policymakers for beginning to reshape child protection and put families at the center.

Every adult has a moral responsibility to do better by children and families in North Carolina. When we see the pinwheels this month, let’s turn our awareness into action.