CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION
Pinwheels for Prevention™ Pinwheels are spinning statewide as we take a moment during April to recognize Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month. Pinwheels are the centerpiece of the Pinwheels for Prevention™ campaign. The pinwheel represents child advocacy groups’ efforts to change the way our state thinks about prevention of child abuse, focusing on community activities and public policies that prioritize prevention right from the start to make sure child abuse and neglect never occur. In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month and Pinwheels for Prevention™ The Child Center, Inc. (with an office in Wentzville) will be selling pinwheels for GO BLUE day for $5.00 each, in the 14 counties it serves in northeast Missouri and selling Pinwheels for Prevention™ t-shirts at $10.00 each. With Child Abuse Prevention Month upon us, it is time to recognize that when children don’t have equal opportunity for growth and development, we put our future as a society at risk. Once we invest in healthy child development, we are investing in community and economic development. When children are exposed to extreme and sustained stress like child abuse and neglect, this will undermine the child’s development. This toxic stress damages the developing brain and adversely affects an individual’s learning and behavior, as well as increases susceptibility to physical and mental illness. This is where prevention comes into play and why Prevent Child Abuse Missouri and the Child Center, Inc.’s Pinwheels for Prevention™ campaign was initiated. Pinwheels for Prevention™ also highlights the fact that getting prevention right from early in a child’s life is less costly to society, and to individuals, than trying to fix things later. We know more than ever there are great costs to mental and physical health as well as criminal delinquency when we don’t invest in
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CROSSROADS APRIL 2013
children early enough. Given this, we hope everyone sees Child Abuse Prevention Month as a call to action to make child abuse and neglect totally unacceptable. Each of us has a role to play to help children live free from abuse and neglect. It can be as simple as giving a parent a break to speaking with a legislator who can change policy so healthy child development is a national priority. Research shows a strong correlation between child abuse/neglect and both physical and emotional health consequences. The Pinwheels for Prevention™ campaign is based on the belief that while the public understands that child abuse and neglect is a serious problem, it doesn’t necessarily understand what it means to prevent child abuse and neglect before it occurs, or that we all play a role in the prevention of child abuse and neglect. As our state recognizes April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, let’s take this time to recognize that we all play a role in children’s lives, healthy child development, and the prevention of child abuse and neglect: Learn more about child abuse prevention and become a messenger for prevention. Lend your voice to bring about change for children in the United States and affect the policies that impact children and the communities they live in. Volunteer your time and talent to organizations that focus on children, their families and the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Donate to support these efforts. Join The Child Center at its Community Garden Pinwheel Opening Ceremony on Saturday, April 20 at 11am at Heart of St. Charles Banquet Center, 1410 So. 5th Street in St. Charles. There will be other ceremonies in Troy and Hannibal. For more information on these ceremonies, visit www.thechildcenter.com.