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April Kicks Off Child Abuse And Neglect Awareness And Prevention Month

Last updated on Tuesday, March 20, 2012

(BEDFORD) - Pinwheels and teddy bears will litter the lawn of the Lawrence County Courthouse March 30 in an attempt to draw awareness to child abuse and neglect and ways of preventing it.

The Prevent Child Abuse Vigil, sponsored by the Lawrence County Prevent Child Abuse Council, will kick off at 1 p.m. Preschoolers from Shooting Stars Preschool and Daycare will sing, prayer will be offered and local officials will talk about the instances of child abuse and what can be done in Lawrence County to prevent it.

The event kicks off April as Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness and Prevention Month, according to Jennifer Bush, a supervisor for the Healthy Families program.

The teddy bears represent each substantiated report of neglect or abuse in Lawrence County. Teddy bears with blue ribbons represent fatalities. This year, pinwheels will be added to the display by those in attendance. The pinwheels represent good childhood memories.

The Lawrence County PCA is comprised of volunteer community members and leaders who work to lower the instances of neglect and abuse in the local area. The organization meets monthly and is charged with coming up with ideas and projects to get the word out to parents and caregivers about ways to prevent abuse.

The goal is just to get awareness out, and encourage people to report suspected abuse and neglect by calling (800) 800-5556 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To join the local coalition, Bush invites any interested community members to come to a meeting. The group meets on the second Thursday of each month at noon at the Bedford Head Start facility.

For more information, visit www.pcain.org.

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