Apr. 4, 2016

Department Event Focuses on Child Abuse Prevention

Pinwheels for Prevention

Contact:
Communications Office
NewsMedia@flhealth.gov
(850) 245-4111

Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, the Florida Department of Health recognized Child Abuse Prevention Month by joining other state agencies and community partners to support the nationwide Pinwheels for Prevention campaign. This morning, department employees came together to plant pinwheels in order to raise awareness of child abuse prevention in Florida.

“All children have a right to live in a healthy, safe environment,” said Interim State Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip. “The department is proud to demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that Florida’s children have the opportunity for healthy growth and development.”

The Pinwheels for Prevention was launched by Prevent Child Abuse America in 2008 to increase awareness of child abuse prevention and to highlight activities for healthy child development. The campaign in Florida is a collaborative effort among Prevent Child Abuse Florida, the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida and the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Through Florida’s Healthy Babies, an effort of the department’s Health Equity Program Council, 28 counties across the state are implementing evidence-based curricula with local partners to promote protective factors to help families get the support they need to raise healthy children. Protective factors enhance parental resilience, social connections, concrete support in times of need, knowledge of parenting and child development, and social and emotional competence of children that decreases the risk of child maltreatment.

Child abuse can include mental or emotional abuse, or neglect. The Florida Department of Health's Children's Medical Services, Child Protection Teams (CPTs) are medically-directed, multidisciplinary, community-based programs, which provide assessments that supplement the child protective investigation activities of the DCF and designated sheriff offices. Each CPT is led by board-certified pediatricians with expertise in abuse and neglect. CPT staff also provides training for child protection investigators, other community providers of child welfare services, emergency room staff, and other medical providers.

If you suspect that a child is being abused or neglected, please call the Florida Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873).

To learn more about the Child Protection Team, visit www.floridahealth.gov/AlternateSites/CMS-Kids/families/child_protection_safety/child_protection_teams.html.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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