Pinwheels for Prevention® across
the Nation
In 2008, Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the pinwheel as the new national symbol for child abuse prevention through Pinwheels for Prevention®. What our research showed, and what our experiences since then have borne out, is that people respond to the pinwheel. By its very nature, the blue pinwheel connotes whimsy and childlike notions. In essence, it has come to serve as the physical embodiment, or reminder, of the great childhoods we want for all children.
The Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign provides a unique opportunity for all of us, individuals and organizations alike, to take action by learning more about prevention, supporting child and family friendly policies and services, and volunteering at the local, state, and national levels.
Did someone help you have a great childhood when you were young – perhaps a parent, sibling, teacher or coach? Do you help children in your life today have a great childhood – your own kids, nephews or nieces, or maybe children you mentor or babysit?
Throughout April, celebrate the lives you touch and those who have touched yours by honoring them with a pinwheel – the national symbol for the great childhoods all children deserve because our children are our future.
Why Do We Care? Because we all play a role in children’s lives…
Whether you are an employer enacting policies that impact the work-life balance or a neighbor who offers parents time away from stress, we all have an effect on the lives of children. The responsibility is ours to contribute to the kind of nation in which we want to live. When all children don’t have equal opportunity for healthy growth and development, we put our future as a society at risk. Every day is your call to action and an opportunity for you to recognize that we all play a role in children’s lives.
Because children are our future…
Our most basic obligation is to support the healthy development of our nation’s children. The great childhoods we want for our children require a loving and supporting environment. Children who are raised in supportive and stable environments are more academically and financially successful, and great childhoods help children grow into productive, contributing adults who help their community, and our country, be prosperous and competitive in the global economy.
Because the costs are too high…
When we invest in healthy child development, we are investing in community and economic development. Unfortunately, children are sometimes exposed to extreme and sustained stress like child abuse and neglect, which can undermine a child’s development. Research conducted by Prevent Child Abuse America estimates that implementing effective policies and strategies to prevent child abuse and neglect can save taxpayers $80 billion per year. The cost of not doing this is measured in increased costs for foster care services, hospitalization, mental health treatment and law enforcement, as well as loss of individual productivity and expenditures related to chronic health problems, special education and the justice system.
How Can You Help?
The Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign provides a unique opportunity for all of us, individuals and organizations alike, to take action by learning more about prevention, supporting child and family friendly policies and services, and volunteering at the local, state, and national levels.
Simple every-day actions make a difference…
There are also simple things you can do every day to make a difference. Whether it’s volunteering at a local pre- or after-school program, babysitting for an overburdened family in your neighborhood, or calling your local legislators to advocate for policies like home visiting, there are many things you can do to help promote great childhoods and the prevention of abuse and neglect!
Illuminate Colorado‘s mission is to strengthen families, organizations and communities to prevent child maltreatment.
As the Colorado Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, the organization leads the Pinwheels for Prevention Campaign in Colorado. Beginning in Colorado in 2009, the Campaign has grown exponentially over the years with hundreds of local organizations and individuals distributing more than 50,000 pinwheels each year.
Get In Touch with Us
Phone Number
303-413-3460
info@illuminatecolorado.org
Mailing Address
Illuminate Colorado
951 20th Street #1860
Denver, CO 80201
