It breaks my heart to know that innocent children are suffering abuse and even death at the hands of those who are supposed to love them. Four-year-old Jovonie Ochoa’s starvation death by his grandmother was my impetus for forming the Blue Ribbon Task Force in San Antonio in 2004.

Working with a coalition of community leaders, organizations and volunteers, the task force acts on the premise that child safety starts with education, and that anyone can be a good parent with the right tools.

We were successful in San Antonio by raising awareness of child abuse and neglect. But sadly, the deaths and the abuse never stop and neither can our efforts.

We sponsor events such as block walks where volunteers go door-to-door handing out literature and informing parents and other caretakers of little ones about community resources available to alleviate stress, answer questions and provide resources to help create a nurturing and healthy environment for their children.

Our voices also reach out at other community events and through billboards, posters, literature and radio and television ads.

The effort in San Antonio and Bexar County was so successful that I sponsored legislation in 2009 (Senate Bill 2080) that created a statewide Blue Ribbon Task Force, a nine-member panel appointed by Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus. Members of this panel are from all across Texas with varied backgrounds. This volunteer panel’s long hours and hard work are done at the members’ own expense.

This panel of distinguished and accomplished professionals is developing a strategic plan to combat child abuse and improve child welfare. The plan, due by Aug. 1, 2011, could include recommendations for statutory changes, as well as new programs and methods to foster cooperation among state agencies and local governments.

This new task force provides an opportunity to look critically at how the state is addressing this problem. We need to know what we’re doing right, but even more importantly, we must know what isn’t working and fix it.

And sadly, some of our children really need this help because the numbers tell a tragic story. In Bexar County, Child Protective Services had 21,500 cases alleging abuse or neglect in 2008, and almost 18,000 of those were assigned for investigation. Thirteen kids who were four years of age or younger died of abuse or neglect in San Antonio last year.

Statewide, there were 240,000 reports of child abuse and neglect in 2007, most of them involving infants and pre-school children, and 223 children died that year.

And with these difficult economic times, the statistics are expected to get even worse.

It’s hard to quantify how successful our efforts are because new kids are born into difficult circumstances every day. But if our efforts can make the difference in the life of even one child, it’s worth it.

How can you help? First, report any signs of abuse or neglect that you see. Make a difference in the life of that child. Second, volunteer for the many organizations that assist children and families in need. And third, if you are feeling stressed and in need of outside assistance, reach out for that help. Call 2-1-1 to learn what resources are available in your community to deal with that stress so you don’t take it out on your children.

We all have a part to play – not just me as a legislator or you as a judge, teacher or parent, but all of us as community members who must look out for the most vulnerable and innocent members of our society.

Sen. Carlos I. Uresti represents Senate District 19, a 55,000-sqare-mile area extending from the city of San Antonio in Bexar County to the Lower Valley of El Paso County, including approximately 750,000 people. The largest legislative district in the nation, it spans two time zones and contains nine of the 14 border counties in Texas, two-thirds of the U.S.-Mexico border within Texas and all or part of 23 counties. Senate District 19 is home to five U.S. ports of entry, three U.S. toll bridges, 62 school districts, seven military sites, six state parks and two national parks. The senator can be reached in his San Antonio district office at 210-932-2568.