SAN ANGELO, TX - The Children's Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas is leading the charge in recognizing April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Kicking off with a "Pinwheel Ceremony" at its headquarters located at 3418 Town & Country Dr., the center has organized a series of events aimed at mobilizing the community against child abuse and neglect.
"Pinwheels are a symbol of the great childhood all children deserve," information states.
Today, April 1, over 200 children visited the CAC from Grape Creek ISD and Texas Leadership Charter Academy (TLCA) for the Pinwheel event.
Attendees were encouraged to wear blue, the national color for child abuse awareness, participate in a group photo and plant a pinwheel on the center's campus as a symbol of the joyful childhood all children deserve.
Chief Executive Officer Justin DeLoach said that in 2023, the Department of Family Protective Services conducted over 900 investigations of child abuse in Tom Green County alone, with over 250 confirmed cases.
“That’s a number we work everyday to decrease,” DeLoach said. “What these numbers tell us is that we as a community still have a responsibility and obligation to protect our children, matter the costs, and no matter the fight. We must stand up for children in our community.”
In addition to the opening ceremony, the Children's Advocacy Center has planned educational sessions throughout April, including Recognizing & Reporting Child Abuse Training on April 3 and Child Sex Trafficking: Awareness & Prevention Training on April 18.
These sessions are designed to equip the community with the knowledge to identify and report child abuse effectively.
The center is also promoting "Blue Fridays," encouraging individuals to wear blue every Friday in April and share their photos on social media with the hashtag #CACBLUEFRIDAYS for a chance to win weekly prizes.
The month-long awareness campaign will conclude with Blue Sunday on April 28, a day dedicated to prayer and awareness about child abuse prevention in local congregations.
Last year, the center provided assistance to over 5,800 individuals in the Concho Valley.
The public is urged to participate in these events and learn how to contribute to the fight against child abuse. For more information, visit https://cacgreaterwtx.org, call (325) 653-HOPE (4673), or email [email protected].
Immediate concerns of child abuse should be reported to the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 or 911 for urgent situations.
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