MECKLENBURG CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS & PREVENTION MONTH COMMITTEE

Since 1983, April has been designated Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month. For the first time locally , a team of agencies charged with helping children are combining forces on a public awareness campaign to get the message out about this critical issue and the importance of mandatory reporting of suspected cases. Our local committee is made up of representatives from the Council for Children’s Rights, Youth and Family Services, Communities in Schools, Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center, Teen Health Connection, the Guardian Ad Litem’s office and the GAL Foundation, CMS, Levine’s Children’s Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital, Children’s Home Society, A Child’s Place, MeckLINKS, Thompson Child & Family Focus, CMPD and the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office.

As part of our public awareness campaign, we will be painting the town BLUE. The Duke Energy Building will be lit up blue on April 8th along with other shows of blue throughout the month in the community.

The Blue Ribbon campaign began in the spring of 1989 when a Virginia grandmother tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her car as a tribute to her grandson who was killed as a result of child abuse. The Blue Ribbon Campaign is a memorial to children who have been touched by abuse and neglect, and a reminder that preventing the maltreatment of children is a community responsibility. CMPD and other local police forces will be wearing the blue ribbon on the uniforms.

Another symbol of Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month is the pinwheel. Pinwheels are part of an effort to focus on community activities that support families and public policies that prioritize prevention right from the start to make sure child abuse and neglect never occur. Shining in the sun, the pinwheel is reflective of the bright future all children deserve and our belief that getting it right early is less costly than trying to fix it later.

APRIL is Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month

Events and Activities

April 4th – Planting Pinwheel Gardens around Town

Gardens will be planted around town

Pinwheels for Prevention – “Shining in the sun, the pinwheels represent a bright future for our children and our community.”

April 6th – Family Fun Day, 11 am – 2 pm

Providence Baptist Church, Randolph Road

April 8th – Light up the Town Blue for Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month

April 9th– Healthy Fathers Healthy Men: Preventing Child Abuse

Derrik Anderson with Foresight Leadership

See attached flyer

April 12th – “When the Bough Breaks”

Training at CMC Main about Child Abuse (8:00 am – 5:00 pm)

See attached flyer

April 15th – 19th – Promoting Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month

within CMS

See information attached on planned activities for students

April 19th– Training on investigating Child Physical and Sexual Abuse

Led by Jim Holler, national expert

(8:30 am – 4:00 pm)

Charlotte Mecklenburg Police and Fire Training Academy

Throughout the Month of April – “Darkness to Light”

Sexual Abuse Prevention Training Program by Pat’s Place

Not open to the public

Promoting

Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month

In CMS

April, 2013

  • Schools involved will be those which have Communities in Schools (CIS) and/or A Child’s Place (ACP) staff- (not K-8 academy schools)
  • Pinwheels- 3rd grade elementary students will make Pinwheels fordisplay on school grounds. A ‘lesson’ about child abuse/ awareness has been developed by CMS Curriculum personnel with the focus- Healthy Body/Healthy Relationships. Youth & Family Services (YFS) will provide money for supplies.
  • Poster Contest- students will design a poster utilizing the NOTICE logo/hand to bring awareness to the problem and the need to stop child abuse. These will be done, voluntarily, in March as a community service project and displayed in the CFSC lobbyfor judging. All entries will receive school/student recognition and the winning poster will be on display at the final event in April.
  • Hand Projects- middle/high school students will take pictures of just their hands with awareness slogans- NOTICE, Shatter the Silence, Stop Child Abuse, etc. or incorporate the hands/logo in unique ways. It will be a contest between CIS schools and the winning school will receive a prize from CIS administration.
  • Bailey Brooks, NOTICE/Student Ambassador, will present to CMS Principals on March 19 to introduce the project and garner support and involvement. She will produce a short video for each school to relay local child abuse info. andpromote the various school activities- posters, hand projects, pinwheels. A ‘reminder token’ from YFS will be given to staff as mandated reporters.

CMS SCHOOLS THAT WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN

CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS ACTIVITIES

DURING APRIL 15 – 19

ELEMENTARY (19)MIDDLE (11)

AllenbrookAlbemarle Road

Albemarle RoadAlexander

Nathaniel AlexanderEastway

Shamrock GardensMcClintock

Hidden ValleySedgefield

Hickory GroveJames Martin

Merry OaksMartin Luther King

Whitewater AcademyRanson

TuckaseegeeCochrane

BarringerCoulwood

Nations FordWhitewater

Highland Renaissance

SedgefieldHIGH SCHOOLS (11)

MontclaireEast Meck

First WardGaringer

Rama RoadHarding

BillingsvilleHawthorne

WinterfieldIndependence

SterlingOlympic

Performance Learning Center

P.O. Berry

South Meck.

Vance

West Charlotte