Republic file photo
Child Abuse Prevention pinwheels are shown near the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. administration building.
Bartholomew County will observe Child Abuse Prevention Month in April.
April has been set aside as the month for Americans to recommit to ensuring that every kid grows up in a safe, stable, and nurturing environment free from abuse and neglect.
National Child Abuse Prevention Month has been observed every April since 1983.
The month will begin with a “Wear Blue Day” on April 1. Family Service, Inc. will be posting photographs of families, as well as groups of co-workers wearing blue, on the nonprofit’s Facebook page.
Child Abuse Prevention Educator Lisa Teague of Family Service, Inc. is hoping supervisors will encourage their employees to wear blue on that day.
Many Bartholomew County residents will see a large number of pinwheel gardens going up during the month of April.
In 2008, Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the pinwheel as the new national symbol for child abuse prevention. Since the pinwheel connotes playfulness, joy and childhood, it has come to serve as a physical reminder of the abuse-free and nourishing childhoods that most Americans want for all youngsters.
On Monday, April 4th, representatives of Family Service, Inc. will be handing out pinwheels, as well as signs explaining their symbolic importance. From 4 to 7 p.m., these free items will be distributed in front of the Doug Otto United Way Building, 1531 13th St.. on a first-come, first-serve basis. Those who wish to participate are asked to drive east toward Central Avenue when they approach the United Way building to pick up the items.
On Saturday, April 23, Donner Center will host the 51st annual Festival of the Young Child. Designed for children age 8 and younger, this event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon. With the theme of “Pure Imagination,” the festival will feature Willy Wonka inspired games, activities, entertainment, and prizes. It’s co-sponsored by Children Inc., the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, the Head Start program and the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.
Providing training for individuals to detect neglect and abuse is also being offered.
Facilitated by teams from Family Service, Inc. and the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Bartholomew program, the “Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children” training will be Monday, April 25. It will instruct adults how to prevent, recognize, respond to and report child sexual abuse.
Last year, there were 213 adults in the Columbus area who were trained with this curriculum about preventing child sexual abuse that represented both the public and private sectors.
Teague describes the training, which includes survivor stories, as very powerful.
“You feel empowered because the training provides a list of things a person can do who suspect a child is being abused,” she said. “It is the responsibility of adults to protect children who can’t protect themselves, and if you suspect child abuse, it is the law that you report it.”
To learn more about the program, go online to www.d2l.org. More details can also be found by calling Family Service, Inc. at 812-372-3745.
