April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the City of Falls Church is working to raise awareness about the safety and well-being of children. A blue pinwheel garden was planted at the entrance of Cherry Hill Park on April 11, which is still there, followed by a proclamation at the City Council meeting.
The pinwheel, according to a City statement, “is the symbol of child abuse prevention and reflects childhood hope, health, and happiness.” Pinwheel gardens are planted by organizations, schools, and businesses in communities throughout the nation during National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
In April and throughout the year, the City of Falls Church statement says, “We encourage all individuals and organizations to play a role in making the community a better place for children and families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help promote the social and emotional well-being of children and youth and prevent child maltreatment within families and communities.”
Protective factors are the strengths and resources families draw on during difficult times to shield them from life’s stresses, it states. “Research shows that when parents possess protective factors, the risk for neglect and abuse diminish and optimal outcomes for children, youth, and families are promoted.” Major protective factors include knowledge of parenting, knowledge of child development, parental resilience, social connections, and concrete supports.
In support of these efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, together with Child Welfare Information Gateway, and the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention developed the 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide. The guide provides more information about protective factors and highlights examples of innovative prevention approaches being implemented by communities across the country.
The proclamation read and affirmed at the April 11 meeting stated, “Whereas every child has the right to a safe, secure, and supportive environment, free from abuse and neglect; and whereas, during Child Abuse Awareness Prevention Month, City residents are reminded of the courage it takes to raise a child and that all parents have the right to the support and knowledge that child rearing demands; and whereas, child abuse is considered to be one of our nation’s most serious public health problems and there is a link between the abuse and neglect of children and a wide range of medical, emotional, psychological, and behavioral disorders; and whereas, child abuse can disrupt early brain development and serious chronic stress can impair the development of the nervous and immune systems with consequences that are likely to continue throughout adulthood; and whereas, children are the foundation of a sustainable and prosperous society, and our prosperity as a City and nation is built on a foundation of healthy child development; and whereas, the City of Falls Church, with the Fairfax County Department of Family Services, other 23 human services agencies, City of Falls Church Public Schools, City of Falls Church Public Library, and community partners, work together to offer programs and services to strengthen resilience and protect children from abuse and neglect; and whereas the City of Falls Church partners with Fairfax County in an effort to build stronger families that can provide safe and healthy childhoods and lead to creating a strong, thriving community; and whereas, information, support and resources can be provided through the Fairfax County Parent Support Line at 703-324-7720; and whereas, witnesses of child abuse and neglect should report it to Child Protective Services at 703-324-7400; now therefore, I, Letty Hardi, Mayor of the City of Falls Church, Virginia, do hereby proclaim the month of April 2024 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in the City of Falls Church, and urge all to recognize this month by dedicating themselves to the task of improving the quality of life for all children and families, thereby preventing child abuse and neglect and strengthening the communities in which we live.”
Testifying to the Council during the petition period at the April 11 meeting was Katie Adams of Connect Our Kids, a Falls Church City-based non-profit whose tools connect kids and families in the child welfare system to their extended families and community support.
She said, “We are proud that our tools are used by the Fairfax County Department of Family Services to serve families and children in need of support.
“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau in its Child Abuse Prevention Resource Guide reminds us that the most effective prevention efforts work at the community level, strengthening the family’s social network and utilizing that network as a source of support.
“The CDC’s report on Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention tells us that social isolation is a major risk factor and that family environments and social networks consistently emerge ad protective factors.
“One of the things that makes Falls Church City such a wonderful place to live is that the size enables us to build strong community ties. As individuals, we can make a big difference by reaching out to families and making a concerted effort to include them in our neighborhood social networks. We can also all work to normalize parents seeking help when they are stressed.
“We encourage the Falls Church City government to include in its information about child abuse awareness and protection, the direct link to Fairfax County’s Parenting Education programs, to make it even easier for patents to find the resources thay need.
“All of us at Connect Our Kids are proud to play a role in keeping Falls Church City and Fairfax county kids and families connected to support that is protective and healing, and we are grateful for the City’s attention to the issue of child abuse and neglect.”
