Advocates, Community Partners to plant pinwheels during National Child Abuse Month April 1
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Fri, 03/18/2022 - 2:18pm
Event Date:
April 1, 2022 - 10:00am
Community partners will plant pinwheels in the legislative lawn Friday, April 1, 2022 to symbolize every child’s right to a safe, healthy, and happy life, and to impress upon the community that child abuse and neglect are serious problems. COVID-19 has increased stress in families across Nevada, and families need the state now more than ever to put them first.
Advocates to End Domestic Violence and Prevent Child Abuse Nevada will host the annual pinwheel planting ceremony at that Nevada State Legislature to help spread awareness about how the community can help Nevada’s children and families be safe, healthy and happy.
The month of April marks National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Statewide, governmental and community agencies, businesses, and families are encouraged to wear blue on April 1 to help us spread the message that every child deserves a great childhood.
According to the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services, from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 there were 34,363 reports made, which resulted in 15,717 investigations of abuse and/or neglect statewide. From those investigations, there were 3,244 substantiated reports of child abuse and neglect and there were 2,896 children removed from their homes.
Prevent Child Abuse Nevada recognizes the importance of community-based support for all children and families during National Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month in April. The theme of this year’s awareness and impact campaign is “Growing a Better Tomorrow for All Children, Together.”
April 2022 marks the third year CAP Month occurs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The risk to our nation’s children for experiencing child abuse and neglect in times of extreme stress and uncertainty remains high. COVID-19 adds stress that can overload parents and caregivers, such as loss of employment, loss of income due to lack of paid leave, the necessity of new child care and schooling arrangements, and food insecurity.
“Now more than ever, we need to band together in collective ways that help our families and children thrive. Too often, our society thinks of raising healthy children as a parent or caregiver’s responsibility alone,” said Amanda Haboush-Deloye, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Nevada “In reality, we all benefit when groups of people work together to collectively care for children.”
Throughout CAP Month, Prevent Child Abuse Nevada, its parent organization Prevent Child Abuse America, alongside other chapters, affiliates, and supporting organizations such as Advocated to End Domestic Violence, Washoe CASA, BACA, and the Department of Child and Family Services are using the community garden metaphor to reinforce the message that “Every day, we help families and children thrive.”
“Research shows that positive childhood experiences grow thriving families and communities,” explained Dr. Melissa Merrick, president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America. “This is the moment to build a child and family well-being system that propels families to grow and thrive together. Please consider joining us to ensure safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments are cultivated to enable children, families, and entire communities to succeed – today and for generations to come.”
Schedule of Events:
10: 00 a.m. Youth Theater Carson City Choir
10:10 – 11:00 Speakers
11:00 McQueen High School Choir
11:10-11:30 Speakers
11:30 Wildhorse Children’s Theatre Choir
11:40 Closing Remarks
11:50 Pinwheel Planting.
Speakers include:
• Assemblyman P.K. O’Neill
• Sheriff Darin Balaam, Washoe County Sheriff’s Department
• Gearz, Bikers Against Child Abuse BACA
• Kelly Brandon, Juvenile Deputy DA, Carson City District Attorney’s Office
• Sheriff Ken Furlong, Carson City Sheriff’s Office
• Tami Goulden-Bosco, Washoe County School District
• Shelby Riley, Department of Child and Family Services
• Audrey Trieu
• Tiffanie Story, Washoe CASA
• Amanda Haboush-Deloye, Prevent Child Abuse Nevada/NICRP
Choirs:
• Youth Theatre Carson City Choir
• McQueen High School Choir
• Wildhorse Children’s Theatre Choir
For more information on how to get involved in CAP Month, please visit https://nic.unlv.edu/pcan/pinwheels_for_prevention.html
About Advocates to End Domestic Violence Advocates to End Domestic Violence Domestic Violence (AEDV) is a private, not-for-profit organization. They were formed in 1979 by two formerly battered women who saw a need for a domestic violence program in Carson City, Nevada. They have grown from a small two-bedroom apartment, to a full service program that operates a 51-bed shelter and provides a wide variety of services designed to protect and support battered women and their children in the community.
About Prevent Child Abuse Nevada PCA-NV is a fully chartered chapter of the national organization Prevent Child Abuse America and housed at the UNLV Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy. The organization advocates for access to early care and learning and after-school programs, adequate health care, and prevention programs to address poverty, child abuse and neglect. PCA-NV encourages residents, the community, and government to invest in kids.
