Sanford preschool creates pinwheel garden for Child Abuse Awareness Month

Tiny pinwheels lined the campus at Wee The People Preschool in Sanford after the Seminole County Health Department supplied materials for a garden meant to mark Child Abuse Awareness Month. The display put children at the center of a message usually delivered in meetings and proclamations: child safety is visible, local, and built one small act at a time. The pinwheel has been the national symbol for child abuse prevention since Prevent Child Abuse America launched the campaign in 2008.

Florida health officials say pinwheels stand for the safe and nurturing environment every child deserves, and Florida's Pinwheels for Prevention campaign is coordinated by Prevent Child Abuse Florida, the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, and the Florida Department of Children and Families. Seminole County says April is a time to raise awareness, support families, and strengthen the systems that protect children, a reminder that prevention is not just a symbolic display but a public-health responsibility shared across agencies, schools and caregivers.

That broader network matters in Seminole County, where county leaders have said abuse, neglect and abandonment exist in the community and that help is available. Kids House of Seminole, at 5467 N. Ronald Reagan Blvd. in Sanford, provides forensic interviews, forensic medical exams, child advocacy services and trauma therapy in one child-friendly place, which can reduce the burden on children and families trying to navigate multiple systems after a report is made.

For families who need to report suspected abuse or neglect, the Florida Abuse Hotline takes reports 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-962-2873, and online reporting is also available. The hotline is the state's central reporting center for allegations of abuse, neglect or exploitation, and 911 should be called if a child is in immediate danger. Florida DCF also tells adults to watch for significant developmental delays and other signs of loss, abuse or neglect, and to consult a physician or other professional if they have concerns.