Explanation
Title
To recognize Prevent Child Abuse Ohio and support it's Pinwheels for Prevention Campaign, to enhance community awareness about child abuse and neglect in Franklin County and encourage support for prevention.
Body
WHEREAS, most residents of the City of Columbus are unaware of how widespread the problems of child abuse and neglect are in this community, representing 7,388 cases of abuse and neglect reported in Franklin County in 2003 alone; and
WHEREAS, Prevent Child Abuse Ohio is a statewide organization whose mission is to help prevent the abuse and neglect of Ohio's children by serving as an expert resource for collaboration, information and education; and
WHEREAS, In 2002, Prevent Child Abuse Ohio became the primary prevention program for The Center For Child and Family Advocacy, a first of its kind center that brings together, under one roof, comprehensive intervention and prevention services, with long term treatment and support for abused children and victims of domestic violence; and
WHEREAS, Prevent Child Abuse Ohio's Pinwheels for Prevention event is designed to enhance community awareness about child abuse and neglect and encourage support for prevention, by displaying children's pinwheels in front of courthouses, playgrounds, libraries and parks, with each pinwheel representing one reported case of child abuse and neglect; and
WHEREAS, Pinwheels for Prevention is designed to show the public in a very dramatic way that child abuse and neglect happens in every community and encourage all community members to focus on prevention as part of an overall plan to break the cycle of child abuse and neglect; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby recognize and express its support for Prevent Child Abuse Ohio and the Pinwheels for Prevention Community Campaign.