A garden of 175 spinning, blue pinwheels will sprout this weekend around Naperville Safety Town at the corner of River Road and Aurora Avenue to promote Child Abuse Prevention Month.
More Top Picks Bulk Soils
The project is a joint effort between the advocacy group Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, the Exchange Club of Naperville and the Naperville Junior Woman’s Club’s Juniorettes program for young women ages 13 to 18.
The Exchange Club’s Dawn Portner said stopping child abuse is important to all three organizations, and with April being Child Abuse Prevention Month, this project is an opportunity to bring attention to the cause.
“But it’s also important for all to remember that every child is special, and they all need to be treated with respect and care,” Portner said.
Pinwheels are the symbol of a happy, healthy and safe childhood and are a reminder how everyone plays a role in children’s lives, she said.
“Children who grow up happy and healthy also go on to contribute to economic prosperity for everyone,” Portner said.
This will be the second year for the joint pinwheel project.
When the Exchange Club started looking for a prominent location for the pinwheel garden last year, Safety Town came to mind, Portner said.
“We reached out to the Naperville Junior Woman’s Club since they oversee that location. During our discussions we learned the Juniorettes had a similar project in the past, and we said let’s work together with Prevent Child Abuse Illinois and collaborate on this project,” she said.
On Sunday they’ll plant 175 pinwheels around Safety Town, and the hope is to add additional pinwheels every year to help the garden grow, Portner said.
The pinwheel garden will remain up throughout the month of April.
Since 2008, Prevent Child Abuse America has used the pinwheel to draw attention to the issue of child abuse and the solution of effective prevention.
Abuse can come in different forms, including emotional, physical, sexual and neglect, and children Illinois are far from immune, according to Jennifer Samartano, northern region prevention specialist with Prevent Child Abuse Illinois.
Statistics from 2020 show Illinois ranks fourth in the nation for child maltreatment, and 75% of children who are maltreated are victims of neglect, Samartano said.
In fiscal year 2021, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services hotline received 200,607 calls, an average of 550 calls per day, Samartano said.
Reports of abuse, she said, resulted in 86,738 investigations conducted by DCFS that year.
“The pandemic took a real toll on so many children and their families. Children need stable nurturing adults in their lives in order to help build resilience,” Samartano said.
“Many people mistakenly think that child abuse doesn’t happen here, but it does,” she said.
Because of the misperception, they don’t act on their suspicions.
“You don’t need proof of abuse. Please act on your suspicions because you may be the only lifeline to getting that child help,” Samartano said.
Anyone who suspects child abuse is occurring is encouraged to call the DCFS at 800-252-2873. In the case of an emergency, call the police, Samartano said.
More Top Picks Best Hiking Pants For Women
Symptoms of abuse can manifest as physical injuries, developmental delays, eating and sleeping disorders, destructive and antisocial behavior, and extreme emotions, anxieties, and phobias.