BRATTLEBORO — On April 9, the Windham County Safe Place Child Advocacy Center & Southeastern Unit for Special Investigations and Prevent Child Abuse Vermont will join thousands of communities throughout Vermont and the nation in recognizing Child Abuse Prevention Month with a pinwheel garden.
The garden will be planted on the front lawn of Rescue, Inc., on Canal Street near Interstate 91 Exit 1, from April 8-15, and at the First Baptist Church on Main Street in Brattleboro from April 15-22.
The nationwide “Pinwheels for Prevention” movement is based on the belief that communities must do more than simply respond to cases of abuse through prosecution and intervention: they must provide programs and policies that focus on the child development process, and engage communities and create conditions that allow parents to be the kinds of parents they want to be, a press release states.
These programs and policies include strategies such as home visiting, parent education, mutual self-help support, mental health services and substance abuse treatment.
According to the statement, prevention priorities have historically lagged behind abuse response measures such as intervention and prosecution.
In contrast, the Pinwheels for Prevention movement began in 2008, and the pinwheel has come to symbolize community commitment to ensuring that every child in the United States is provided with the healthy, safe and nurturing home they deserve.
The mission of Windham County Safe Place Child Advocacy Center/Southeastern Unit for Special Investigations is to facilitate an integrated, multidisciplinary response to victims of child physical and sexual abuse and victims of adult sexual assault that reduces trauma, promotes prevention and advocacy, and supports healing for all in our community affected by these offenses.
Prevent Child Abuse Vermont promotes and supports healthy relationships between children and the people who care for them in order to eliminate child abuse. PCAV has many available resources to support families. Included in these resources are the Nurturing Parenting Programs and Circle of parents support group. For more information, call 1-800-CHILDREN.