Child Abuse Prevention Month

Each year, more than three million children are reported as victims of child abuse; and here in Idaho, abuse affects thousands of children.

The mayor of Idaho Falls proclaimed the month of April as "Child Abuse Prevention Month" for the city, to hopefully draw more attention to the issue and the need to work together to stop it.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and all over Idaho, cities and groups are taking part.

Mayor Jared Fuhriman says he's passionate about child abuse prevention and wants to draw more awareness to the issue in the community.

The mayor visited Help, Incorporated where the Snake River Children's Advocacy Center is also located. He thanked these groups for all they do to support abused children. Mayor Fuhriman says as a former police officer, some of the toughest cases he dealt with were about child abuse. As mayor he vowed to continue to stand strong in the prosecution and awareness of abuse in the city.

He read and then signed the mayor's proclamation and gave it to Holly Whitworth, from Help Incorporated.

Holly says it's vital for the prevention of child abuse for communities to come together and she says progress is being made.

Holly Whitworth: "I think that child abuse prevention, families are becoming more aware of resources that are available to them and that's a good thing in our community, but child abuse is still out there and it's a daily decision about what we're going to do as community members, as parents, as officials in our community to prevent child abuse."

The group then went outside in the snow and planted "Pinwheels for Prevention". These are the symbol for the prevention of child abuse and the same thing was done at other locations around the state Thursday, all to have a colorful display that will draw attention to the issue.

Mayor Fuhriman also said that awareness of child abuse starts in our own homes and it's not an issue that should ever be ignored or taken lightly and he encouraged others to do the same.