April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Many employees of Sampson County DSS wore blue and gathered for a Plant Pinwheels for Prevention Ceremony to plant pinwheels, raising awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month.

One of the DSS Resource Committee members, Penny Horne, read the Governor’s proclamation recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Danielle Evans, from DSS’s Child Protective Services staff, shared a life story. Shannon Barber, CAC Director, talked about the meaning of the pinwheel, discussing the significance behind symbols of child abuse, including the pinwheel and blue ribbon.

Community partners, representatives from Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Clinton Police Department, Eastpoint, and the District Attorney’s office, were also present to participate in the pinwheel ceremony. Their presence underscored a collective commitment to combatting child abuse.

A pinwheel garden was created outside DSS’s building, by the oak tree, this month to raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month.