01-04-2025
Joplin police, Children's Center mark Child Abuse Awareness Month with over 300 blue pinwheels
JOPLIN, Mo. — On this first day of April, which is also Child Abuse Awareness Month, a tradition continued outside the Joplin Police Department.
More than 300 pinwheels were put in the ground, establishing this year's Pinwheel Garden. Each one represents a child JPD was able to assist through the Children's Center last year.
The department worked 346 cases of child abuse in 2024 and conducted 164 interviews through the center.
'We all had pinwheels when we were kids, so it's just a happy, happy representation of a child, and kind of, kind of provides hope. Like, you look at all these pinwheels and the fact that each one represents a child is just super impactful,' said Kayla Medlin, Children's Center of SWMO Community Outreach Coordinator.
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'Each one of these pinwheels represents a name. You know, there's much more behind a pinwheel than just the pinwheel itself, and 346 cases — you know, one child abuse case is one too many cases — and so, our goal is to bring awareness and bring prevention to child abuse in the future,' said Capt. Austin Wolf, JPD.
And we can help by reporting it if and when we see it.
Each state has a child abuse and neglect hotline—you see Missouri's. People can call or submit a report online.
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