Hoops Family Children's Hospital hosts Pinwheel Ceremony for Child Abuse Awareness Month

In recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Hoops Family Children’s Hospital Child Advocacy Center (HFCH CAC) held a special ceremony on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, to plant pinwheels in front of the hospital to raise awareness about how child abuse impacts children in West Virginia. Pinwheels are a national symbol for child abuse prevention and are meant to reflect the playfulness and innocence of childhood.

In 2023, the Child Advocacy Center served 278 victims of alleged sexual child abuse across the region. HFCH CAC Director Angela Seay said providing the necessary services to these children would not be possible without the power of partnerships across the Tri-State.

“Our Child Advocacy Center alleviates the need for a child to tell their traumatic story over and over to doctors, law enforcement, investigators and others,” said Seay. “Children share their story to a trained interviewer, who knows the right questions to ask. Then, based on the interview, a team of professionals will make decisions together on how best to help the child. These services may include therapy, courtroom preparation, victim advocacy, and medical exams. Without the partnerships we have with these local agencies, none of this would be possible.”

Representatives from the Children's Home Society of West Virginia, West Virginia State Police, Barboursville Police Department, Huntington Police Department, Kenova Police Department, Cabell and Wayne County Prosecutor’s Offices and the West Virginia Division of Health and Human Resources were in attendance for the annual pinwheel ceremony.

Learn more about the efforts of the HFCH CAC by visiting www.hoopschildrens.org/facilities-programs/child-advocacy-center/.