Pinwheel Garden To Raise Child Abuse Awareness In Falls Church

FALLS CHURCH, VA — As part of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the City of Falls Church will plant a pinwheel garden at the entrance to Cherry Hill Park on Park Avenue on April 11.

A pinwheel is the symbol of child abuse prevention and reflects childhood hope, health and happiness. Pinwheel gardens are planted in communities throughout the nation in April in recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The pinwheel garden will be planted in Falls Church on Monday, April 11, at 7 p.m., followed by a proclamation at the City Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Community members and businesses can show their support by purchasing and planting a pinwheel in a yard or flower pot.

Research shows that when parents possess protective factors, such as knowledge of parenting, knowledge of child development, parental resilience, social connections, and concrete supports, the rate of child abuse goes down.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, together with Child Welfare Information Gateway and the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention, developed the 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide. The guide provides information about protective factors and highlights examples of prevention approaches being implemented by communities across the country.