Bringing awareness during Child Abuse Prevention Month
WINONA, Minn. (WXOW) — In preparation of April being Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Family and Children’s Center (FCC) in Winona, turned its lawn blue with kid silhouettes.
The FCC is a community mental health organization with the mission to strengthen families and promote individual well-being. The non-profit is based in southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin.
The blue silhouettes represent the thousands of children that are abused every year and stand as a symbol for the work that needs to be done.
The FCC’s program coordinator Danielle Swedberg said protecting children is everyone’s responsibility.
According to data from the American Society for the Positive Care of Children, there were four million child maltreatment reports in 2021 and nearly 2,000 children died from abuse and neglect.
“Child abuse does happen here in the Winona community and that we need everyone to come together to help support that,” Swedberg said. “So maybe, that’s helping your neighbor with childcare so that children aren’t left home alone but it’s also being comfortable to report. If you see something that doesn’t seem right to you, please report because if we don’t know about it, we can’t help.”
The FCC has a series of events happening in April to bring awareness to the issue.
Including informational session for the signs and symptoms of child abuse on April 19 and 25. In a partnership with Winona State University (WSU), a child abuse prevention walk is set for April 25 at WSU’s gazebo.
Article originally appeared on wxow.com on March 30, 2023.
WINONA, Minn. (WKBT) – One in five children will experience some form of child abuse throughout their young life.
That’s according to leaders at the Family and Children’s Center, which is raising awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month.
A display outside the center in Winona features blue silhouettes of children, bringing visual attention to the issue.
FCC officials say they provided child abuse prevention services to more than 600 children in 2022 alone.
Child abuse is an underreported crime, but FCC President and CEO Tita Yutuc says there are things people can do if they think a child needs help.
“If you see something, say something,” says Yutuc. “If a child is acting different, a child is doing something different than their normal behavior, they’re more isolative, they’re not eating, they’re not sleeping, ask what’s going on, talk to their teachers, talk to their friends, but do something.”
The FCC has multiple events in April focusing on child abuse prevention. You can see them on the organization’s website.
Article originally appeared on news8000.com on March 30, 2023.
