April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, IMPOWER encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making Central Florida a better place for children. By ensuring parents have the knowledge, skills and resources they need to care for their children, we can help promote children’s social, emotional well-being and prevent child maltreatment within families and communities. This month, IMPOWER once again joins Prevent Child Abuse Florida, in a statewide public awareness and education campaign called ‘Pinwheels for Prevention’ and each of our offices will display a pinwheel garden as a symbol for child abuse prevention. The pinwheel represents hope, health and happiness. The pinwheel is a happy and uplifting symbol of childhood and represents our efforts to ensure the healthy development of children. The pinwheels serve as a reminder that we all have a responsibility to create communities that promote healthy environments for children. What you can do:
- Educate – Learn about services in your community and what you can do to ensure they are available for children and families in need. If you suspect a child is being abused, neglected or abandoned call the state hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE.
- Participate – Get involved and volunteer your time and/or expertise to help children in need.
- Advocate – Ask your elected officials to support child abuse and neglect intervention efforts.
- Donate – Make a financial contribution to IMPOWER or another organization serving the critical needs of children in our community.
Together, we can ensure a brighter future for all our children and end child abuse and neglect.