April is Child Abuse Prevention Month: Keep the Pinwheels Spinning!

In 1982 President Ronald Reagan invited government agencies and communities to observe the first child abuse prevention week. April was declared Child Abuse Prevention Month and has been observed every year since.  More recently, blue pinwheels have become the national symbol for child abuse prevention.

Shining in the sun, the pinwheels represent a bright future for children in our community. We want all children to live in stable and loving homes and to thrive in school and through extracurricular activities, like sports, music and drama.  The pinwheel not only reminds us of what we want childhood to entail, it also represents our work to heal their pain.  Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (PCHAS) believes that every child has a right to a safe childhood free of violence.

What can you do to help prevent child abuse? You can donate to Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services online at www.texas.pchas.org/donate or send a check to our new address: 5920 West William Cannon Drive, Building 3, Suite 100, Austin, Texas 78749. Your financial support will enable us to help children who have been abused.  Thank you in advance for your support and keep those pinwheels spinning!

By Margaret Barry

Editor’s Note: Here are some statistics about child abuse: On average, more than five children die each day as a result of child abuse or neglect in the United States. Each year, there are more than 6.2 million reported cases of child abuse and neglect. Sadly, in the majority of cases, the adult caretakers that children depend upon are the ones responsible for the abuse.