HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital recognizes Child Abuse Prevention Month with speakers, pinwheel planting

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.

HSHS representatives gather on the lawn of St. John’s Pavilion, where blue pinwheels were planted in the design of a blue ribbon. The pinwheels are a national symbol of child abuse prevention. From left to right, Deborah Joseph, HSHS Community Health Outreach Specialist; Kim Luz-Mobley, HSHS Executive Director, Community Health; Brian Brennan, President and CEO, St. John’s Hospital and HSHS Central Illinois Market.

“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.

Hospital Sisters Health System leaders, advocates, and state and city officials gathered on Thursday for a press conference recognizing April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. From left to right: Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher; Tarra Winters, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Illinois; Brian Brennan, President and CEO of HSHS St. John’s Hospital and HSHS’ Central Illinois Market; and Marial Miller, Chief Deputy Director, Child Protection and State Central Register, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

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 Prevention Month in 1983 by a proclamation issued by President Ronald Reagan and has continued ever since.