Wake Supports Child Abuse Prevention Month

3/19/2008

About 47 of every 1,000 children are reported as victims of child abuse or neglect, and in 2006, 34 children in North Carolina died at the hands of their parents or caregivers.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Wake County will hold a kickoff event Monday, March 31, 2008, at 3 p.m., in the main lobby of the Human Services Center-Swinburne, 220 Swinburne St., Raleigh. The event is open to County employees and the public.

Rosemarie Allen, president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina, will provide opening commentary, and a special bubble ceremony to honor children that died at the hands of their caregivers in 2007 will conclude the ceremony.

The goal of National Child Abuse Prevention Month is to reduce the number of children injured or killed by their caregivers, and Wake County proudly supports this initiative. Four mini-festivals are scheduled in April, each from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., to educate the public on how to recognize, report and prevent child abuse, as follows:

• Eastern Regional Center, 1002 Dogwood Drive, Zebulon – April 7-11
  (Car seat check Thursday, April 10, 1-3 p.m.)
  
• Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave., Wake Forest – April 14-18
  (Car seat check Thursday, April 17, 1-3 p.m.)
  
• Sunnybrook Public Health Center, 10 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh – April 21-25
  (Car seat check Thursday, April 24, 1-3 p.m.)
  
• Southern Regional Center, 130 N. Judd Parkway NE, Fuquay-Varina – April 28-May 2
  (Car seat check Wednesday, April 30, 1-3 p.m.)

Wake County is partnering with Prevent Child Abuse N.C., SafeChild and Babies R Us to host these four events. The County’s Child Passenger Safety Team will check correct car seat installations, as indicated.

For additional information about these or other child health and welfare programs in Wake County please call 856-7551.

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