COEUR d'ALENE - April is Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month, and multiple events are scheduled in Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls to create awareness about the problem and to raise money for dealing with it.

Family Advocates, a Boise-based program that works to keep abused children out of danger, says 850 children daily enter into America's foster care system because they cannot live safely at home. It's a surprising statistic because it's rarely reported or discussed unless a tragedy occurs, the program says.

The Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Coalition will have a kick-off campaign ceremony and resource fair starting at noon on Monday, at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library, at 702 E. Front St.

Groups and organizations such as the Idaho Meth Project, Big Brothers Big Sisters, United Way of Kootenai County, Children's Village, ICARE (a program of St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho), and Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) will be at the fair with booths to distribute information about child abuse and what is being done to keep kids safe. Several other groups also will have booths.

At the fair there will be a speaker who will talk about a prevention training program, called Stewards of Children, that educates adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child abuse.

City of Coeur d'Alene police statistics show there were 78 reports of child abuse last year, compared with 72 in 2008, for an increase of 8 percent.

Children's Village, of Coeur d'Alene, which provides foster care for children up to 18 years old, is hosting a charity auction and buffet dinner including a live and silent auction April 9. Tinka Schaffer, development director of Children's Village Foundation, said 85 percent of the past placements at its homes have been children in harm's way.

The auction and dinner will start at 6 p.m. at the Coeur d'Alene Inn, at 506 W. Appleway Ave. Tickets are on sale for $48, and reserved corporate tables for eight people are $400.

The Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Coalition, which includes the Children's Village and other social service groups, will be hosting a child abuse prevention and awareness month awards event from 3 to 5 p.m. April 22. The awards event will be at Red Lion Templin's Hotel on the River, at 414 E. First Ave., in Post Falls. Tickets are $8, and reservations are required, organizers said.

Schaffer said a business will be honored at the awards event for its support and prevention of child abuse and neglect. An individual will receive an award for being the child advocate of the year, Schaffer said.

For information on either the charity auction and buffet dinner or the awards event: 667-1189.

Since 1990, Children's Village has taken in 1,800 children.

Stress, drugs, and alcohol are what Schaffer calls precursors for abnormal and abusive behavior by parents.

About 20 years ago, most children were abused by parents stressed by economic factors, and sometime alcohol.

"Now, methamphetamine and the serious drugs are really impacting the parents," Schaffer said.

The Children's Village needs up to $35,000 per month to operate, and spends less than 10 percent of its money on administrative costs. Its greatest expense is staffing, Schaffer said.

"We have children who are alone with no parents," she said.

The United Way of Kootenai County announced another event during this week.

On April 14, at The Coeur d'Alene Resort, there will be a Breakfast Summit 2010, focusing on "Changing the Future, Investing in Children and Families."

Caryl Johnston, executive director of United Way of Kootenai County, said, "Our children are the most important asset, and the economic future of our community."

She said the goal of the United Way of Kootenai County and others is to build stronger families, get kids ready to learn in school, improve high school graduation rates, and develop a valuable future workforce.

The event will run from 8 to 10 a.m., and the cost is $15 per person, or $120 for a table of eight people.

The keynote speaker at that event will be Jason Sabo, who has worked with communities on the economic importance of investing in children from birth to the point they enter the workforce. Sabo is the senior vice president of United Way of Texas.

For information on the breakfast contact the United Way of Kootenai County: (208) 667-8112.