Lyon County pinwheel campaign to raise child abuse awareness

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, Lyon County Human Services encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making our communities a better place for children and families. By ensuring parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help promote children’s social and emotional well-being and prevent child maltreatment within families and communities.

Research shows when parents possess six protective factors, the risk for neglect and abuse diminish and optimal outcomes for children, youth, and families are promoted.

The following are the six protective factors.

Nurturing and attachment

Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development

Parental resilience

Social connections

Concrete supports for parents

Social and emotional developmental well-being

April is a time to celebrate the important role that communities play in protecting children. Everyone’s participation is critical. Focusing on ways to build and promote the protective factors, in every interaction with children and families, is the best thing our community can do to prevent child maltreatment and promote optimal child development.

The pinwheel is an uplifting reminder of childhood and the bright futures all children deserve. Help us strengthen families and communities by celebrating.

Lyon County Human Services will be planting pinwheel gardens in front of all LCHS office locations, pinwheel coloring sheets are available in all LCHS office locations for children to help decorate the lobbies, and look for additional pinwheel displays in other organizations in Lyon County communities.

In addition to the pinwheel, the color blue has been selected to represent the campaign; Lyon County Human Services staff will be wearing blue on Friday for National GO BLUE! Day, #GoBlueNV.

For information about child abuse prevention programs and activities during April and throughout the year, contact Shayla Holmes, program supervisor, at 775-577-5009, ext. 3305, or by email at sholmes@lyon-county.org. Also check out www.facebook.com/lyoncountyhumanservices.