Pinwheels put eyes on abuse prevention

The Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children kicked off their annual week-long celebration, The Week of the Young Child, with the dedication of the “Pinwheels for Prevention” garden on Stewart Parkway Friday.

Events will be held throughout next week, starting Tuesday with “Thank You” day, in which parents or caregivers are encouraged to help their child make a card or piece of artwork for their child’s teacher, and culminating in the Children’s Parade along Washington’s waterfront, followed by the Children’s Festival, which means bubble blowing, games, and music by Pamlico Joe and Clean Water Flow.

The Week of the Young Child is sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children to ensure their well-being. Though the primary focus is on providing early childhood education, according to the NAEYC mission statement, the organization is equally committed to providing comprehensive services that support the health, nutrition, and social well-being of young children—services like Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children and the Beaufort and Hyde County Community Child Protective Team, a consortium of local agencies and organizations that are committed to addressing child protection needs.

Friday, Beaufort County Commissioner Al Klemm, Mayor Archie Jennings, Assistant District Attorney Tom Anglim, Melanie Meeks from the TEDI BEAR clinic, and Superintendent of Beaufort County Schools, Don Phipps, attended the “Pinwheels for Prevention” ceremony, each making a few remarks on the importance of abuse prevention, before planting pinwheels into the ground at the base of the “Pinwheels for Prevention” sign.

“We want to be known as a community that looks out for our children,” said Jennings, while Anglim stressed the importance of supporting organizations like CCPT as a community and finding ways to continue that support with local, state, and federal collaborations.

“The goal today is to ensure that the silence of those abused is heard,” said Anglim. “The goal for the future is that there will be no abuse to hear about.”