Special to IFN

During National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, five child-centered agencies in Iredell and Alexander counties are working together to bring awareness to a cause at the heart of their work.

According the National Children’s Alliance, an estimated 558,899 children were victims of abuse and neglect in the U.S. in 2022, the most recent year for which there is national data. That equates to 8 children out of every 1,000.

As a show of solidarity in the fight against child abuse, the local agencies have planned a series of initiatives in for National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. The agencies joining together are Pharos Parenting, Dove House, Guardian Ad Litem of NC, Iredell County Partnership for Young Children, and the Iredell County Department of Social Services.

On Wednesday, April 1, the first of these initiatives will kick off with “Tie-A-Tree” blue in Statesville, Troutman, Mooresville, and Taylorsville. Representatives from each agency, civic clubs, media, and the public will be on-site at scheduled times to tie blue ribbons to the branches of the selected tree for the duration of April. The signs placed at each tree will include a message of awareness and phone numbers for reporting abuse and neglect. A town representative will speak briefly about the importance of prevention in our community.

The community is encouraged to come and tie ribbons on the trees with the agencies. The schedule and locations are listed below:

♦ 9:00 a.m.: Statesville (Corner of Tradd & Water streets)
♦ 10:30 a.m.: Troutman (125 Main Street near fire station)
♦ 1:30 p.m.: Mooresville (in front of 148 N. Main Street)
♦ 3:30 p.m.: Taylorsville (Courthouse Steps – 29 W. Main Avenue)

The national symbol for child abuse prevention is the pinwheel, which represents the happy, carefree childhood we want for all children. Pinwheel gardens will be displayed throughout the community in April. The number of pinwheels in each garden represents the number of children that have been killed at the hands of their parent or caregiver in North Carolina in 2023. Sadly, the gardens will be displaying 32 pinwheels this April.

The color blue represents child abuse prevention, so the public is encouraged to participate in “Wear Blue Day” on Friday, April 10. Be sure to post pictures to social media using #WearBlueDay2026.

As a show of support, the City of Statesville will be turning the bollard lights in downtown blue for the month of April.

The participating agencies have been working on the Child Abuse Prevention Campaign since January and hope that their efforts will bring to light the importance of prevention through education, awareness, and advocacy. Iredell County and Alexander County are fortunate to have so many agencies committed to the children in our community. Together, they provide a continuum of care for families, which helps to keep all children safe, healthy, and happy.

LEARN MORE

To learn more about these agencies, visit their websites below.

♦ Pharos Parenting: www.pharosparenting.org
♦ Dove House: www.dovehousecac.org
♦ Guardian Ad Litem of NC: www.volunteerforgal.org
♦ Iredell County Partnership for Young Children: www.iredellsmartstart.org