Kids’ Hope Center Announces Pinwheel Planting to Bring Awareness during National Child Abuse Prevention & Awareness Month

December 1, 2015

Kids’ Hope Center Announces Pinwheel Planting to Bring Awareness during National Child Abuse Prevention & Awareness Month

Contact:
Barbara Bauder, Chief Development Officer
Joanne Shorb, Program Director
Kids’ Hope Center – 541-266-8806
Bay Area Hospital
541-269-8543

COOS BAY – The Bay Area Hospital, Kids’ Hope Center together with the District Attorney’s Office, local law enforcement agencies and the community will be planting 248 pinwheels in front of the Center on Wednesday, April 1st at 1:00 p.m. The Center is located on the corner of 19th Street and Thompson Avenue – one block from Bay Area Hospital. Each pinwheel honors and represents a child seen at the Center in 2014.

Child Abuse statistics for our County and the State of Oregon are astounding and many of these cases are never reported. In 2013 Child Protective Services in Oregon, according to the Department of Human Services, received 64,305 reports of abuse and neglect. 48.7 percent of the victims were younger than 6 years old.

One of the valuable services available in our community for children who have been abused has been the Kids’ Hope Center formerly the Child Abuse Intervention Center. At the Center, children who may have been abused are interviewed in a “kid friendly” environment to determine if they have been the victim of abuse and to help obtain for them the services they need to overcome the abuse and associated trauma. Last year in our county, 248 children were interviewed and received services through the Center. We know that most abuse goes unreported.

Bay Area Hospital – Kids’ Hope Center together with numerous other community organizations will also be sponsoring the Family Fun Day and Run for the Kids on Saturday, April 18th at John Topits Park. This is a FREE family friendly and tobacco free event with activities, a run and a free bbq kicking off National Child Abuse Education & Prevention month during April.

Bay Area Hospital is excited to have this important community service become a part of the full range of services provided to our South Coast residents. It aligns with the hospital mission “to improve the health of our community every day”. It is the desire of Bay Area Hospital to increase not only the emergency response services as a result of child abuse but an increased focus on prevention and education.