Childhood Innocence

A pinwheel is one of those things that shouts childhood; a childhood that should be full of wonder, excitement, encouragement, promise, support, curiosity…innocence.

Unfortunately, for many children throughout the world their childhoods are tragically disrupted and they are robbed of their innocence.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month; therefore, I wanted to take this time to make people aware of what they can do.

The lobby of Adams County Children & Youth
Pinwheels that have been colored by children who are served by our agency.

I have been working in Child Welfare for nearly ten years now and have seen some horrendous things. We work with families that, for whatever reasons, live in homes that are so environmentally unsafe that to leave a child in it one more day could mean the difference between life and death. We also work with families that either can’t or won’t provide the basic level of medical care, food, hygiene and even education to their children.

However, some of the more significant cases are those of physical and sexual abuse against a child. When these cases are brought to our attention, it is the Intake Units job to go out and investigate the allegations.

Pinwheel Garden displayed in the
Adams County Children & Youth office.

I stress the word when, because issues of child abuse are not always brought to the attention of agencies that are trained and equipped to work with families in these situations. There are many excuses why people don’t report concerns when they have them, which ultimately leaves the child in a potentially dangerous situation.

As you can see from the sign, 263 incidents of child abuse were reported in Adams County last year. There may have been many more incidents that went unreported.

I have to admit, before working in the field that I’m in now, I was relatively ignorant to the issue of child abuse. I grew up with the same kids all the way from kindergarten through 12^th grade and didn’t know of a single instance of someone being in an abusive home.

Looking back, through the lenses of what I know now, I can see the warning signs in some of the people I knew.

One of the greatest tools in preventing child abuse is knowing that it exists. The Pinwheels for the Prevention of Child Abuse is a campaign to promote awareness.

Adams County's CAC
located at 450 W. Middle Street,
Gettysburg, PA 17325.

Through the Adams County Children’s Advocacy Center, local businesses, residents, schools, churches…whoever…, were able to purchase pinwheel gardens and signs to plant in their yards. Approximately 50 gardens were purchased and displayed throughout Adams County, Pennsylvania.

Pinwheel Garden displayed in the front of a
local resident's home.

This is a national campaign, which can be individualized for your community. If you are interested in getting involved in your own community, you should contact your local Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC), Exchange Club, Optimist Club, or perhaps your local Child Welfare Agency. You can contact the Adams County CAC at 717-337-9888 and ask to speak with Joddie Walker (Executive Director). Their web address is http://kidsagaincac.org.

Pinwheel Garden displayed along side of
The Memorial Church of the Prince of Peace Episcopal
in Gettysburg.

The next step to helping prevent child abuse is to say something when you see something, or suspect something. Learning what to look for is important and there are many organizations that can help; your local CAC is a great place to start.

Pinwheel Garden displayed throughout the flowerbed
in front of the Cricket House; a local business.

Many people don’t want to get involved, because they’re just not sure. You don’t need to be sure; that’s why we have agencies that are trained to investigate. Child abuse is a crime of secrecy, and if you wait until you are sure, it may be too late.

People who work with children as a part of their employment (teachers, doctors, law enforcement, child welfare professionals, day care providers…) are Mandated Reporters , which means that they are obligated, by law, to make a report when they have reasonable suspicion that some form of child abuse is taking place.

Many people are affected by Child Abuse.

Let me suggest that we are all mandated reporters. Children are members of our communities and we should all be looking out to make sure they are safe. A good resource to check out is http://www.onewithcourage.org.

Lastly, if you are a victim of abuse and you have never sought assistance, it’s not too late. Child abuse does not only affect childhood…it affects LIVES!

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