CASA Pinwheel Garden A Symbol Against Child Abuse, Neglect
April 21, 2022 at 11:34 p.m.
CASA Pinwheel Garden A Symbol Against Child Abuse, Neglect
By David [email protected]
In Kosciusko County, there are a number of organizations that work to prevent and stop child abuse and work on behalf of the children. One such organization is Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Kosciusko County.
At noon Thursday, CASA held a blue pinwheel planting ceremony on the south side of the county courthouse lawn and a march around the courthouse against child abuse. Blue pinwheels are the national symbol for the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
In her opening remarks, Erin Rowland-Jones, executive director of CASA of Kosciusko County, told the crowd of several dozen, “I appreciate all of you coming today to recognize April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.”
She pointed out the large blue pinwheel next to a banner near the pinwheel garden.
“We plant that every year in memory of Judge David Cates. He passed away in December 2020. He was the judge that heard all the abuse and neglect cases. He was a fierce advocate for children and loved what he did. We miss him and honor him by planting that large pinwheel every year,” Rowland-Jones said.
Kosciusko County Local Office Director for the Department of Child Services Sara Cole took to the microphone and said, “Although I am new to Kosciusko County, I have been with the department in different capacities for 13 years. Over that time, I have observed many changes in how the department views and responds to child abuse and neglect.”
In her short time in Kosciusko County, she said she has been “very impressed” with the local office staff and community response to ensuring that children’s needs are being met.
If anyone is looking for ways to help the local office or children in need in the community, Cole said the DCS needs foster parents who are willing to take placement of children.
“Whenever a child is removed from their caregiver, we try to place children as close to their home as possible so the children are able to maintain relationships at school and in the community,” she said.
Anyone interested in becoming a foster parent can contact the local DCS office at 574-267-2576. “We can put you in contact with a person to assist you through the foster parent process,” she said.
In addition to the DCS, Cole said there are many resources available to those who live in the community. One resource she said not many people are aware of is Community Partners through SCAN (Stop Child Abuse and Neglect).
“Community Partners is a free and voluntary service available to those in need who do not have an open case with the Department of Child Services. Anyone can refer a family to Community Partners. The referrals can be completed via telephone or online,” Cole said.
The toll-free number to complete a referral is 800-752-7116 and the website is www.scaninc.org.
“Everyone in Indiana is a mandated reporter of child abuse and neglect. If you suspect or have concerns of abuse or neglect, please call our hotline, which is staffed by DCS employees 24/7 365 days a year,” she said.
That number is 1-800-800-5556.
“These pinwheels remind us that childhood should be carefree. Playing with pinwheels in the sun, not living a nightmare,” said Kosciusko County Superior Court 1 Judge Karin McGrath. “The nightmare of child abuse manipulates and twists a child’s natural sense of trust and love. They learn to ignore their feelings. They simply shut down. Repeated traumas in childhood forms and deforms a personality. Children in an abusive environment are left trying to find ways to cope, to adapt. They try to preserve a sense of trust in people who are untrustworthy, safety in an unsafe world, control in situations that are terrifyingly unpredictable and power in a place of helplessness.”
Those children compensate for the failures of adult care and protection and love with the only means available to them - “an ineffective and broken system of personality and psychological development,” she said.
“And these traumas experienced as a child don’t adapt well to adult life. We can’t just breathe a sigh of relief when the child turns 18 and say, ‘Phew, they got by that! Now they can move on, they can escape, they can be free.’ It follows them into adulthood. It affects every facet of their lives and their own ability, in turn, to love and protect and care for others. It destroys entire families for generations upon generations. It destroys communities,” McGrath said.
A survivor of child abuse is left with fundamental issues and problems with basic trust, autonomy, initiative, she said. “That survivor remains a prisoner of their childhood. They attempt to create a new life, but they are simply just too burdened by impairments, with identity, in thought, in memory, in lack of self care and in the capacity to form stable relationships,” McGrath said.
The Center for Disease Control reports that one in seven children are victims of abuse or neglect.
“We’re quite certain that number is low because of all the unreported cases,” McGrath said.
In 2020 in the United States, 1,750 children died from abuse and neglect.
“Let us be the ones who do not accept those numbers. Let us be outraged by those numbers. To be concerned is to be human, but to act is to care. Let us be the ones who act,” she concluded.
McGrath and Cole then led the march around the courthouse, ending at the pinwheel garden to plant the pinwheels.
After those concluded, Rowland-Jones said, “It takes a village to raise a child. This is a fairly common saying that I think we’ve all heard at one time or another, but it’s true for a variety of reasons. CASA, DCS and Judge McGrath get involved after there’s already been child abuse and neglect. We’re part of the village that wraps itself around the child and the family to try to get them the services, intervention and advocacy they need to reunify to be a family and be a safe family.”
CASA volunteers become a village for the child who has experienced abuse and neglect, she said.
“Studies show that one caring, consistent adult can help a traumatized child become resilient and overcome some of the trauma they had trouble with,” she said.
Before CASA, DCS and McGrath see the children who have been abused and neglected, Rowland-Jones said it takes another village - “all of us in the community” - to help prevent child abuse.
So what can a person do?
She said a person can educate themselves on what child abuse and neglect is and know the signs. Some signs may include unexplained injuries, depression, fear of certain adults, sudden changes in eating or sleeping patterns, poor hygiene, secrecy and hostility.
“Support families and children. If you see a family struggling, befriend them. Provide mentoring for a parent. Volunteer in after-school programs for parent education classes. Be a village for those in our community you see struggling,” Rowland-Jones said. “And be a village to a child before they’re a part of our system due to abuse and neglect. Be a CASA. Be a Big Brother or Big Sister. Volunteer at Baker Youth Club. Invest in the children of our community, not just money but your time. Remember, it takes a village. Our children are our most valuable resources and will shape the future of our community.”
Toni Ryan closed the event with a prayer.
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In Kosciusko County, there are a number of organizations that work to prevent and stop child abuse and work on behalf of the children. One such organization is Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Kosciusko County.
At noon Thursday, CASA held a blue pinwheel planting ceremony on the south side of the county courthouse lawn and a march around the courthouse against child abuse. Blue pinwheels are the national symbol for the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
In her opening remarks, Erin Rowland-Jones, executive director of CASA of Kosciusko County, told the crowd of several dozen, “I appreciate all of you coming today to recognize April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.”
She pointed out the large blue pinwheel next to a banner near the pinwheel garden.
“We plant that every year in memory of Judge David Cates. He passed away in December 2020. He was the judge that heard all the abuse and neglect cases. He was a fierce advocate for children and loved what he did. We miss him and honor him by planting that large pinwheel every year,” Rowland-Jones said.
Kosciusko County Local Office Director for the Department of Child Services Sara Cole took to the microphone and said, “Although I am new to Kosciusko County, I have been with the department in different capacities for 13 years. Over that time, I have observed many changes in how the department views and responds to child abuse and neglect.”
In her short time in Kosciusko County, she said she has been “very impressed” with the local office staff and community response to ensuring that children’s needs are being met.
If anyone is looking for ways to help the local office or children in need in the community, Cole said the DCS needs foster parents who are willing to take placement of children.
“Whenever a child is removed from their caregiver, we try to place children as close to their home as possible so the children are able to maintain relationships at school and in the community,” she said.
Anyone interested in becoming a foster parent can contact the local DCS office at 574-267-2576. “We can put you in contact with a person to assist you through the foster parent process,” she said.
In addition to the DCS, Cole said there are many resources available to those who live in the community. One resource she said not many people are aware of is Community Partners through SCAN (Stop Child Abuse and Neglect).
“Community Partners is a free and voluntary service available to those in need who do not have an open case with the Department of Child Services. Anyone can refer a family to Community Partners. The referrals can be completed via telephone or online,” Cole said.
The toll-free number to complete a referral is 800-752-7116 and the website is www.scaninc.org.
“Everyone in Indiana is a mandated reporter of child abuse and neglect. If you suspect or have concerns of abuse or neglect, please call our hotline, which is staffed by DCS employees 24/7 365 days a year,” she said.
That number is 1-800-800-5556.
“These pinwheels remind us that childhood should be carefree. Playing with pinwheels in the sun, not living a nightmare,” said Kosciusko County Superior Court 1 Judge Karin McGrath. “The nightmare of child abuse manipulates and twists a child’s natural sense of trust and love. They learn to ignore their feelings. They simply shut down. Repeated traumas in childhood forms and deforms a personality. Children in an abusive environment are left trying to find ways to cope, to adapt. They try to preserve a sense of trust in people who are untrustworthy, safety in an unsafe world, control in situations that are terrifyingly unpredictable and power in a place of helplessness.”
Those children compensate for the failures of adult care and protection and love with the only means available to them - “an ineffective and broken system of personality and psychological development,” she said.
“And these traumas experienced as a child don’t adapt well to adult life. We can’t just breathe a sigh of relief when the child turns 18 and say, ‘Phew, they got by that! Now they can move on, they can escape, they can be free.’ It follows them into adulthood. It affects every facet of their lives and their own ability, in turn, to love and protect and care for others. It destroys entire families for generations upon generations. It destroys communities,” McGrath said.
A survivor of child abuse is left with fundamental issues and problems with basic trust, autonomy, initiative, she said. “That survivor remains a prisoner of their childhood. They attempt to create a new life, but they are simply just too burdened by impairments, with identity, in thought, in memory, in lack of self care and in the capacity to form stable relationships,” McGrath said.
The Center for Disease Control reports that one in seven children are victims of abuse or neglect.
“We’re quite certain that number is low because of all the unreported cases,” McGrath said.
In 2020 in the United States, 1,750 children died from abuse and neglect.
“Let us be the ones who do not accept those numbers. Let us be outraged by those numbers. To be concerned is to be human, but to act is to care. Let us be the ones who act,” she concluded.
McGrath and Cole then led the march around the courthouse, ending at the pinwheel garden to plant the pinwheels.
After those concluded, Rowland-Jones said, “It takes a village to raise a child. This is a fairly common saying that I think we’ve all heard at one time or another, but it’s true for a variety of reasons. CASA, DCS and Judge McGrath get involved after there’s already been child abuse and neglect. We’re part of the village that wraps itself around the child and the family to try to get them the services, intervention and advocacy they need to reunify to be a family and be a safe family.”
CASA volunteers become a village for the child who has experienced abuse and neglect, she said.
“Studies show that one caring, consistent adult can help a traumatized child become resilient and overcome some of the trauma they had trouble with,” she said.
Before CASA, DCS and McGrath see the children who have been abused and neglected, Rowland-Jones said it takes another village - “all of us in the community” - to help prevent child abuse.
So what can a person do?
She said a person can educate themselves on what child abuse and neglect is and know the signs. Some signs may include unexplained injuries, depression, fear of certain adults, sudden changes in eating or sleeping patterns, poor hygiene, secrecy and hostility.
“Support families and children. If you see a family struggling, befriend them. Provide mentoring for a parent. Volunteer in after-school programs for parent education classes. Be a village for those in our community you see struggling,” Rowland-Jones said. “And be a village to a child before they’re a part of our system due to abuse and neglect. Be a CASA. Be a Big Brother or Big Sister. Volunteer at Baker Youth Club. Invest in the children of our community, not just money but your time. Remember, it takes a village. Our children are our most valuable resources and will shape the future of our community.”
Toni Ryan closed the event with a prayer.
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