Though for Wyoming, it is a little early to plant a garden, the Children’s Advocacy Project uses this month to plant a different type of garden. This garden is made of blue pinwheels to help bring awareness to Child Abuse Prevention Month. The month of April is nationally designated to acknowledge the importance of communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect.
By its very nature, the pinwheel connotes whimsy and childlike notions. The pinwheel is meant to represent healthy, happy childhoods and is the official symbol of child abuse prevention.
Normally, the Children’s Advocacy Project gets to invite the community out to help us bring awareness to Child Abuse Prevention Month. However, with America staying home to work together in preventing the spread of the coronavirus, we must find new ways to work together to bring awareness to child abuse prevention.
The Children’s Advocacy Project will be planting our pinwheel garden alone this year. A pinwheel will be planted for each child victim of abuse and maltreatment we served in 2019 – 326 children, 326 pinwheels.
Though we cannot come together, we still hope that these pinwheels will serve as a visual reminder of the child abuse that continues to occur in our own community. We encourage you to plant a pinwheel in front of your home or business as a way of honoring those who have helped you or your children experience a childhood without abuse and neglect.
As well, during this time of social distancing, we think that social media can still be a great way to come together as a community to bring awareness to Child Abuse Prevention Month. We will be planting a virtual pinwheel garden, help us by adding a temporary frame to your Facebook profile and share with your family and friends.
See a blue pinwheel while going for a walk? Take a picture and share it with us on Facebook!