By: Matt Scher, [email protected]
Humboldt, IA – The month of April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and a local hospital is bringing awareness to problem one pinwheel at a time.
Humboldt County Memorial Hospital recently set out a plethora of blue pin wheels to raise awareness.
That is Bri Berte, the Director of Community Development at HCMH. 131 pinwheels were placed on the grounds of the hospital, with each pinwheel representing a case of assessed child abuse in Humboldt County in 2022.
Christine Sewell, the Humboldt County Public Health Director says child abuse is 100 percent preventable and provides ways to help including the HOPES Program with Humboldt County Public Health.
Other ways to help include:
- Offer a neighbor, friend or family member a break from parenting. Sometimes even a short period away is all a parent needs to be refreshed, engaged and patient. Become a caring, trusted adult in a young person’s life. Being able to take problems to an adult can make all the different for youth.
- Use the services in your community, which educate parents about age-appropriate expectations for children and provide positive parenting tips. Many services offer an opportunity to share parenting experiences with other parents and learn from one another. The HOPES Program is one of those services offered by Humboldt County Public Health at no cost. For more information contact Humboldt County Public Health at 515-332-2492.
- Contact your local legislators to ensure they support child abuse prevention funding and policies to make children safer in your community and in our state.