Events Upcoming
New Members
A wind of change rippled blue pinwheels on the lawn of HSHS St. John’s Pavilion in Springfield on Thursday, as Hospital Sisters Health System leaders, advocates, and state and city officials gathered for a press conference kicking off National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“Pinwheels of Possibility” is the theme of this year’s month-long recognition of the need to safeguard children, and speakers stressed the importance of community in those efforts.
Brian Brennan, President and CEO of HSHS St. John’s Hospital and HSHS Central Illinois Market, noted the care at HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital goes beyond medical diagnostics.
“The physicians, the providers, the caregivers here are giving world-class care, but they're also trained not only on the medical side, but they're trained to take care of families,” Brennan said.
Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher issued a city proclamation recognizing April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month and urged a collaborative effort in safeguarding children.
“Child abuse prevention is a shared responsibility of all of us, requiring the involvement and collaboration of our citizens, our schools, our organizations, our government entities throughout Illinois and throughout our nation,” Buscher said.
Tarra Winters, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, stressed that child abuse and neglect are preventable issues.
“Prevention begins when families and communities are empowered to define what support looks like and when our systems align to meet those needs,” Winters said.
Maria Miller, Chief Deputy Director, Child Protection and State Central Register, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, noted the state’s commitment to strengthening families.
“Over the past year, we have expanded access to in-home family services, early intervention support, community-based programs, and prevention services to help families address challenges early,” Miller said.
Attendees were then invited to plant blue pinwheels – a national symbol of child abuse prevention – on the Pavilion lawn in the outline of a blue ribbon.
The month of April was first observed as Child Abuse PreventionMonth in 1983 by a proclamation issued by President Ronald Reagan and has continued ever since.
For more information about HSHS St. John’s Hospital, visit st-johns.org.
