Child Abuse Prevention Month observed
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PARKERSBURG -- April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month with the theme of this year's awareness campaign "Growing a Better Tomorrow for All Children, Together."
The Wood County Partners in Prevention Team sponsored by Children's Home Society of West Virginia and other community partners are planting Pinwheel Gardens throughout the county this month as reminders everyone has a role to play in children's lives.
Among sites locations for pinwheel gardens are United Methodist churches, United Bank and Williamstown Bank locations.
Ninety pinwheels were planted by the Children's Home Society at Jefferson Elementary Center to honor the 90 employees who make a difference in the lives of their students.
"We began a new partnership with Jefferson Elementary this school year, and are providing an After School child care program, similar to the program we provided for 13 years at McKinley Elementary," Lisa Weaver, program coordinator and team leader for the Wood County PIP team. "We're continuing to support families at Jefferson by helping to provide clothes and hygiene items for students, and through the assistance of Vienna Baptist Church, are able to provide head lice treatment and prevention kits to families in need."
The team also helped sponsor a farmer's market and Active Pathway project last fall at Jefferson, she said. The Children's Home Society supports grandparents at Jefferson through the Healthy Grandfamilies program.
"We're very grateful for this new opportunity at Jefferson Elementary and appreciate how hard their employees work to provide a safe, stable environment that allows children to succeed academically and emotionally," Weaver said.
Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign in 2008. Research showed that people respond positively to pinwheels, which represent childlike whimsy and lightheartedness and our vision for a world where all children grow up happy, healthy, and prepared to succeed in supportive families and communities.
This is the second year that Child Abuse Prevention Month has taken place during the pandemic. Parents and caregivers have been under stress and uncertainty during the past year.
Additional stress increases the risk for child abuse and neglect to occur, making efforts as critical as ever.
Prevent Child Abuse WV's Partners in Prevention Teams across West Virginia have been assisting with food delivery, providing diapers and other needed supplies for families, conducting virtual home visits with parents and other supportive efforts to help those in their local communities.
To learn more and to help, go to visit www.teamwv.org or follow Prevent Child Abuse WV on Facebook. To learn more about Children's Home Society or the Jefferson After School Program, go to childhswv.org, follow the local Facebook page Children's Home Society of WV -- Parkersburg Site or call 304-485-0650.