DAVENPORT, Iowa-- Nationally, one in seven children have experienced child abuse or neglect. In the Quad Cities, that evens out to about 10,000 children at risk.
According to the Department of Child and Family Services, that number could fill nearly twenty school buses with neglected children.
"It is prevalent in our community. There are kids affected by child abuse and neglect in our community, but the most important thing to know about child abuse is that it's preventable, so with education and with prevention programs in place, child abuse can be prevented," Brooke Hendrickx, with Child Abuse Council QC, said.
Blue pinwheels will start to pop up throughout the month through a partnership with Child Abuse Council QC. The pinwheels signify the goal of a happy and safe childhood for every child.
"The pinwheel gardens provide that awareness piece. People ask questions. They want to know more, and that brings them to our programs, brings them to other community agencies that have support systems to get the help that they need or the help that they need for their neighbors," Hendrickx said.
A key idea to this program is educating the community on how to prevent and spot child abuse.
On April 5, the Child Abuse Council is asking the community to wear blue for a blue out, and use the hashtag #blueoutqc on social media to show support for child abuse prevention.
