An event on Thursday will spread awareness about child abuse and neglect in the Ozarks for National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month in April.
The “Go Blue” event, hosted by the Community Partnership of the Ozarks Abuse and Neglect Collaborative, will feature a panel discussion addressing the ongoing issue of child abuse and neglect in the region. Springfield Mayor Ken McClure will also speak.
Megan Garrett, Director of Community Collaboratives, said child abuse and neglect have been a continuous red flag in the city’s 20-year-old Community Focus Report.
“Greene County, in particular, tends to have a higher rate of child abuse and neglect than a lot of other bigger cities,” said Garrett.
Garett said the collaborative has a few goals they are working to achieve this year in an effort to combat the problem.
“The collaborative has currently identified advocacy around policy for child abuse and neglect to be one of the areas that they want to focus on and then education within the community but also broader education within the region as well.” said Garrett.
Those who attend the panel discussion are encouraged to wear the color blue, which is associated with child abuse prevention. They’ll have the chance to take part in planting a pinwheel garden, symbolizing the innocence of childhood.
The pinwheels are meant to serve as a visual reminder for the community to focus on the issue of child abuse throughout April.
The “Go Blue” event will be on Thursday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at University Heights Baptist Church in Springfield.