Special to Iredell Free News
During National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, six child-centered agencies in Iredell and Alexander counties will work together to bring increased awareness to a cause at the heart of their agencies.
During fiscal year 2023, 3.9 million reports were made to child protective services in the U.S. As a show of solidarity in the fight against child abuse, Children’s Hope Alliance, Department of Social Services, Dove House, Guardian Ad Litem of NC, Iredell County Partnership for Young Children, and Pharos Parenting are collaborating on a series of initiatives.
On Thursday, March 28, 2024, the first of these initiatives will kick off with “Tie-A-Tree” blue in Harmony, Statesville, Troutman, Mooresville, and Taylorsville. Representatives from each agency, civic clubs, media, and the public will tie blue ribbons to the branches of selected trees. The signs placed at each tree will include a message of awareness and phone numbers for reporting abuse and neglect. A town representative will speak briefly about the importance of prevention in our community.
The community is encouraged to come and tie ribbons on the trees with the agencies. Here is the schedule:
♦ 8 a.m.: Harmony (Tomlinson-Moore Family Park, 187 High Point Avenue)
♦ 10 a.m.: Statesville (Corner of Tradd Street and Water Street)
♦ 12 noon: Troutman (125 Main Street)
♦ 2 p.m.: Mooresville (148 N. Main Street)
♦ 4 p.m.: Taylorsville (County Courthouse, 29 W. Main Avenue)
In addition, the collaboration has provided kits to local schools to “Tie-a-Tree” blue on the school’s campuses. They organizations also provided coloring sheets with a prevention message for pediatricians’ offices and libraries to hand out.
The national symbol for child abuse prevention is the pinwheel, which represents the happy, carefree childhood we want for all children. Pinwheel gardens will be displayed throughout the community in April as well. The number of pinwheels in each garden represents the children who were killed at the hands of their parent or caregiver in North Carolina in 2022. Sadly, the gardens will be displaying 31 pinwheels this April.
The color blue represents child abuse prevention, so the public is encouraged to participate in “Wear Blue Day” on Friday, April 12. Be sure to post pictures to social media using #WearBlueDay2024. Churches in the area are encouraged to participate in “Wear Blue Sunday” on Sunday, April 14, and use #WearBlueSunday to post to social media.
Downtown Statesville will be turning the bollard lights blue for the month of April while a street banner will be displayed over Broad Street for the first week of the month as a reminder to all who pass through.
The agencies involved have been working on the Child Abuse Prevention Campaign since January and hope that their efforts will bring to light the importance of prevention through education, awareness, and advocacy. Iredell and Alexander counties are fortunate to have so many agencies committed to the children in our community.
Learn More
To learn more about these agencies, visit their websites:
Children’s Hope Alliance
www.childrenshopealliance.org
Iredell County Department of Social Services
www.iredellcountync.gov/299/Social-Services
Dove House Children’s Advocacy Center
www.dovehousecac.org/
Guardian Ad Litem of NC
www.volunteerforgal.org/
Iredell County Partnership for Young Children
www.iredellsmartstart.org/
Pharos Parenting
www.pharosparenting.org
Sponsors
Several civic organizations have sponsored activities for Child Abuse Prevention Month with a donation, including the Rotary Club of Greater Statesville, Rotary Club of Statesville, Exchange Club of Troutman, Mooresville/Lake Norman Exchange Club, and Evening Exchange Club of Lake Norman.
