Every year, the Children’s Advocacy Project plants a pinwheel garden to help raise awareness for child abuse prevention. This year, we are asking you to join us by planting a pinwheel garden of your very own during the month of April!
In 2020, home became the intended safe space to shelter from coronavirus, but the sad fact for many children is the majority of child abuse happens at home and happens within the family. With schools closed, teachers and other school staff who make up the largest portion of child abuse reports were no longer regularly seeing children to be able to spot the signs of abuse.
Child abuse is happening all of the time, every month of the year, at all hours of the day. In April alone, an estimated 150 children in the United States will die due to abuse of neglect. In reality that number is likely much greater. Now just image that number every month for a year. Those children and the children who live through abuse every day is why we must continue to work as a community to prevent child abuse beyond the month of April.
We’ve all heard the term “stranger danger” and have probably even told our children to look out for it. The truth surrounding child sexual abuse is that 90% of child victims will be abused by someone they know, someone they probably trusted, and someone they even love.
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.