Casper Declares April As Child Abuse Awareness Month

A pinwheel maybe a fun toy for a child, but in Casper, it has taken on a whole new meaning.

The city of Casper has designated April as child abuse awareness month.

The Children's Advocacy Project has placed 212 pinwheels on its front lawn on North Ash Street, in recognition of the number of forensic interviews they conducted with children who were or may have been abused either physically or sexually.

Heather Ross of the Children's Advocacy Project says when a child is abused, the word needs to get out to the right people.

"Child abuse is one of those topics that we really don't want to talk about, we want to pretend like it's not happening in our own families and in our own communities, but the truth of the matter is that it's happening. They're saying that one in four girls, by the time they turn eight-teen, and one in six boys by the time they turn eight-teen, will be sexually abused, and that's something that we can't have happening right here in our own community."

The Children's Advocacy Project is a private non-profit program dedicated to ensuring a comprehensive and mufti-disciplinary team response, to allegations of child physical and sexual abuse and other crimes involving children.