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Show support for child abuse prevention by sporting blue

The Logan Daily News - 4/11/2018

LOGAN - Early Monday afternoon, community members and local agencies gathered in Worthington Park to mark the beginning of National Child Abuse Prevention Month by placing pinwheels throughout the park to represent children still suffering from abuse and neglect within the county.

"Our community event occurred Monday with our Pinwheels in the Park event. This allows our agency to share with the community the number of reports the agency receives and screens in for child abuse and neglect," shared Theresa Johnson, Protective Services Supervisor for the South Central Job and Family Services.

While the 348 pinwheels and balloons used this year are a reminder of how many children are still affected, there are other ways individuals and agencies can show their support for the cause to bring awareness and a stop to child abuse and neglect.

One popular event is Wear Blue Day, which is held on the second Wednesday of April each year. On the day - this year, April 11 - agencies and community members are encouraged to show support for preventing child abuse and neglect by wearing blue to work, school, or a community event.

In Ohio, the Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO) encourages state residents to wear blue and post a photo to social media with the hashtag "OhioWearsBlue".

Last year, in preparation for Wear Blue Day, the South Central Job and Family Services designed blue t-shirts for employees to purchase that read "Break the Silence on Child Abuse". There was not a specific theme for this year.

"On Wear Blue Day, the employees are encouraged to wear our blue Child Abuse Prevention t-shirts. Each year, we purchase t-shirts from the Child Protection Center in Ross County," Johnson explained. "The Child Protection Center provides services to children who have been abused

and neglected."

According to the supervisor, Child Advocacy Centers conduct forensic interviews and physical exams to children who have been sexually and physically abused. Hocking County supports the Child Protection Center in Ross County, as well as Harcum House in Lancaster and Nationwide Children's: The Center for Family Safety and Healing in Columbus.

In addition to showing support through clothing, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children's Bureau releases a Prevention Resource Guide that can be found by visiting their website, www.childwelfare.gov.

This year's guide "Keeping Children Safe and Families Strong in Supportive Communities" focuses on providing community support to develop safe and secure environments for children.

The guide provides a variety of approaches for building hope and a sense of community through six protective factors, which are conditions or attributes that reduce or eliminate risk and promote healthy development and well being of both children and families.

The six protective factors are nurturing and attachment, knowledge of parenting and child development, parental resilience, social connections, concrete support for families, and social and emotional competence of children.

Rather than specify a "right way" to discuss or implement the protective factors, the guide states that it is important to focus on the different factors to best help the children and family in those types of situations.

All six factors and the approaches provided in the guide were developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Center for the Study of Social Policy, and the Administration on Children Youth and Families to help raise awareness and commitment, use data to inform actions, and create context for healthy children and families through change and various programs and policies.

According to Johnson, abuse and neglect affects Hocking County families in many ways. In 2017, the agency received 884 reports of abuse and neglect; 348 were screened in. Overall, the agency investigated 161 cases of physical abuse, 136 of neglect, 46 of sexual abuse, and 10 emotional maltreatment cases; the remaining cases were categorized in other categories.

"Our agency has seen a spike in Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome - which is when the baby is born addicted - which are categorized as physical abuse. The opiate and drug epidemic in Hocking County has cause an increase in the overall number of cases," Johnson said. "Due to this epidemic, more families are becoming homeless, unable to care for their children. More children are placed with grandparents and other relatives. Our workers try to find relatives who can care for children when they cannot be cared for in their own home."

To report that a child may be suffering from abuse or neglect, reach out to Children Services at 740-385-4168, Hocking County Victim Services at 740-385-1011, or contact local law enforcement.