Pictured is presenter Donna Gibson, CCE Tioga community educator.
Children help plant the pinwheels, the symbols of Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Tioga County community members gathered on Tuesday, April 7 to celebrate Child Abuse Prevention Month. The celebration began with a community forum on Protective Factors to Keep Our Children Healthy and Safe at the First Presbyterian Union Church in Owego.
Judy Wolf and Donna Vergason-Gibson opened the forum with a presentation on Protective Factors shown to prevent child abuse and neglect. These Protective Factors are Knowledge of Parenting and of Child Development, Parental Resilience, Social Connections, Concrete Supports in Times of Need, Social and Emotional Competence of Children. The presentation was followed a networking session where community agencies shared how their services support the wellbeing of children and families.
Following the Community Forum, community members joined families with young children at the Family Resource Center to plant a pinwheel garden.
Pinwheels for Prevention is the signature campaign of Prevent Child Abuse America and its state chapters. Pinwheels are a happy and uplifting symbol of the bright future all children deserve. They are the centerpiece of a growing movement committed to stopping child abuse before it starts.
When the weather allows, the pinwheel garden will be moved to the Courthouse lawn for all the community to enjoy.
