DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Community leaders, advocates and volunteers gathered Thursday at the Macon County Courthouse to kick off Child Abuse Prevention Month, highlighting the ongoing need to protect children and support families across the region.
The Macon County Coalition Against Child Abuse hosted the event, which included a wreath lighting ceremony as well as the display of blue ribbons and pinwheels, the national symbols meant to raise awareness and inspire action.
Jean Wolgast, director of The Child 1st Center, said the blue ribbon carries a powerful history.
“The blue ribbon became a symbol of child abuse awareness when a grandmother tied it to her van to bring attention to the abuse suffered by her grandchildren,” she explained. “It was to remember the death of her grandson and the abuse those children endured.”
Pinwheels, planted across the courthouse lawn, represent hope, but also a sobering reality. This year, 500 pinwheels were placed, symbolizing the approximate number of substantiated child abuse and neglect cases in Macon County over the past year.
Advocates, like Wolgast, said that the number likely doesn’t capture the full scope of the problem.
“There are more children out there,” she said. “There are cases that don’t get reported or aren’t included in official numbers. We work daily to bring those children to safety, security, and ultimately, healing.”
Macon County State’s Attorney Diane Couri told the crowd that child abuse is often difficult to confront, but impossible to ignore.
“It is hard to talk about because children bring so much joy and innocence into our lives,” Couri said. “But there are children who are the recipients of unspeakable acts that take away that innocence and joy.”
Couri emphasized that abuse often happens behind closed doors and relies on everyday people to take action.
“The court system begins with the adult who notices something and reports it,” she said. “It begins with the teacher who notices bruises or the friend who speaks up. It takes a community to protect a child.”
For Blaine Smith, executive director of Heartland CASA, the issue is deeply personal. Smith, an adoptive parent, shared how trauma impacts children long after abuse occurs.
“One of my children once asked me, ‘Why do we not move all the time?’” Smith said. “For some children, safety is temporary, love feels conditional, and home is something they’ve learned not to trust.”
Smith said having even one consistent, caring adult can make a life-changing difference for a child.
“For many children we serve, a CASA advocate may be the only person in their life whose sole focus is them,” Smith said. “That kind of presence can change everything.”
She added that abuse often persists when communities stay silent.
“Child abuse and neglect thrive in silence,” Smith said. “Prevention begins the moment we decide that silence is no longer an option.”
Organizers said preventing abuse starts with simple but meaningful actions. That means helping families access food, shelter and child care, supporting stressed caregivers, monitoring children’s online activity and having open conversations about safety.
They also stress the importance of reporting suspected abuse, even if concerns are uncertain.
“If you don’t listen to the little things your kids have to say, they won’t trust you with the big stuff,” Wolgast said, encouraging parents to maintain open communication.
Throughout April, coalition partners, including the Child 1st Center, Heartland CASA, Growing Strong Sexual Assault Center, Baby Talk, Dove Inc. and Bright Start, will host events and outreach efforts, encouraging the public to “color Macon County blue” in support of children.
Community members can also get involved by attending fundraisers, volunteering, or becoming foster parents.
- April 10: Wear Blue Day
- April 13 to 17: Chalk the Walk Week
- April 26: Blue Sunday Day of Prayer
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