There are some causes that should not exist. Child abuse is one of those issues that, with education and evolution, should be relegated to the scrapheap of human history, with bubonic plague and scurvy.
But in 2011, Lucas County Children Services (LCCS) received 4,148 referrals of suspected child abuse involving 6,046 children and discovered 587 area children were abused or neglected. The agency’s hotline for reporting child abuse receives about 750 calls per month and 300-400 are investigated.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This year’s theme is “child abuse is preventable.” LCCS has worked with local media to spearhead a number of events, including a March 29 Blues Against Child Abuse concert, which drew nearly 150 people to Dégagé Jazz Café in Maumee to hear Voodoo Libido and contribute to the cause.
LCCS has more events planned throughout April, including Wear Blue to Work Day on April 11. As reported by Toledo Free Press Staff Writer Brigitta Burks, workers are encouraged to wear blue to the office, photograph a group of co-workers wearing the color and post it online via social media.
“We’re trying to get everybody aware and develop that sense of camaraderie,” LCCS Public Information Officer Julie Malkin said. “We want to have fun, get people involved and aware and take advantage of social media.”
Buttons promoting the day are available by calling (419) 213-3254.
LCCS and other agencies will present information at the “We Care About Our Kids: Community Forum on Child Sexual Abuse” at 6:30 p.m April 18 at the University of Toledo Scott Park Campus. Admission is free.
A ceremony honoring local children who died as a result of street violence, abuse or neglect will take place at 11:30 a.m. April 25 at the LCCS offices, 705 Adams St., Toledo. Since April 2011, no children have died in Lucas County from abuse or neglect, but Timothy Blair, 14, Deadrick Rocker, 17, and Montelle Taylor, 17, died as a result of violence.
To help promote Wear Blue to Work Day, LCCS and Toledo Free Press invited dozens of community leaders to the Main Toledo-Lucas County Public Library for this week’s cover photo. Jim Walrod of the Image Group provided the blue T-shirts for people from every walk of local media, government, public services and nonprofit life. We profusely thank each and every individual who gave his or her time for the photo, taken by Toledo Free Press Photo Editor Joseph Herr.
Wearing a blue shirt to work is a minor gesture for such a crucial issue. We hope to see you in blue April 11.
To report a case of suspected abuse, call (419) 213-CARE.
Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@tfpfeb.toledowebdesigns.com.
