Child abuse prevention display goes up in record time
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (March 28, 2023) – Pinwheels are back on the steps leading into the county courthouse to remind passersby to be on the lookout for kids who are being abused or neglected.
The Noah’s Hope Child Advocacy Center’s “Pinwheels for Prevention” went up there this morning to kick off National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. Executive Director Mandy Willet had a huge team of helpers. They made quick work of the project, getting all of the pinwheels unboxed and set up in record time.
“Of course, Noah’s Hope is here and Job and Family Services. We have Big Brothers Big Sisters, Tusc Board of DD. We have the sheriff’s office, Shoup’s Cleaning and the Shoup family, and we also have members of the Exchange Club, and Dover PD also helped us load the forms in the car, so we had a huge turnout today.”
Tuscarawas County JFS Children’s Services Supervisor Nicole Johns says the pinwheels represent the 1,539 tips about suspected child abuse, neglect, and dependency the agency received last year.
“Of those total calls, we’ve had approximately 378 active investigations, which included about 600 adults this last year and 690 children. And out of those we did have some children that came into foster care, and that number was about 86.”
Willet hopes the display gets people thinking about the kids in our community and what they might be dealing with at home.
“If they have any concerns at all, if they see something that just doesn’t seem right – report it. Because we are not going to know about it, Job and Family Services isn’t going to know about it unless it’s reported, so I think that’s the most important thing to take away from it.”You can reach Children’s Services by calling 330-339-7791 and selecting option 4. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, contact your local law enforcement agency.