UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — April is National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month, and Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network (CMSN) is spearheading a campaign, “Pinwheels for Prevention PSU,” to engage the University community and foster awareness around child abuse prevention.    

On April 12, CMSN will host an in-person event on the HUB Lawn, offering handouts, giveaways and treats for all who stop by. Attendees will also have the opportunity to show their support by planting a pinwheel, which symbolize child abuse prevention. 

Additionally, a virtual event will be held from April 1 to April 12. Those interested are encouraged to sign up for a pinwheel and share images of themselves with the pinwheels using the hashtag #PinwheelsforPreventionPSU to take part in this visual representation of support.   

Pinwheels will be delivered at the end of March, accompanied by information on child abuse prevention. Posting on social media will allow participants to showcase their unit's involvement and amplify the message of child abuse prevention. 

As part of child abuse prevention awareness month, CMSN will also host a webinar from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on April 12 via Zoom. This event, "Nurturing Healthy Futures: Promoting Effective Safe Care Plans for Substance-affected Infants and their Families,” will feature a presentation by Margaret Lloyd Sieger, associate professor at the University of Connecticut. She will share findings from her work regarding the implementation of safe care plans. Additional speakers will share examples of effective approaches being used to engage families in community-based safe care plans. This event is free but registration is required. 

Established in 2012, the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network is part of the Social Science Research Institute at Penn State.