Mount Nittany, county commissioners recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WTAJ) – April 5th is Wear Blue Day in observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Mount Nittany Health is urging the community to work together to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Wear Blue Day is a way to raise awareness of child abuse and show solidarity to those who have been impacted by it. Wearing blue can also send a message of hope and support to children and families in need.

But wearing blue is just one of the ways officials and organizations in Centre County have recognized April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The Centre County Commissioners issued a special proclamation recognizing the importance of child abuse and sexual assault prevention on Tuesday, April 2. The proclamation was received by organizations that help make up the Better2gether Collaboration, including the YMCA of Centre County, Centre County Youth Service Bureau, Centre Safe, Children and Youth Services and the Mount Nittany Health Children’s Advocacy Center of Centre County.

“We’ve seen our share of allegations and realities in regards to physical and sexual abuse of children. We’ve got a pretty strong depth of folks on our team here at the county level, folks that now lead up our human service department,” Centre County Commissioner Steven G. Dershem said.

Mount Nittany Health Children’s Advocacy Center of Centre County annually serves an average of 300 or more children who are victims of abuse or witness crimes, according to the health network, and, according to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, there has been an average of 29 new child abuse cases filed with the courts each year over the past five years.

The YMCA of Centre County, State College Branch will hold a Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 20 from 1-4 p.m. featuring several awareness activities from the Better2gether collaboration. The collaboration also holds Stewards of Children by Darkness to Light Child Abuse Prevention Trainings, sponsored by Mount Nittany Health and in partnership with the Centre County Youth Service Bureau throughout the year. More information on the event and the free trainings is available on YMCA’s website.

If you know or suspect a child is experiencing abuse, please call Pennsylvania’s toll-free, 24-hour reporting ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313 immediately, or contact your local police department. You do not need proof of abuse to make a report.

“It’s not your job necessarily to do the investigation and figure out if it’s a credible claim. Your job is to call ChildLine or get in touch with children and youth services,” Centre County Commissioner Amber Concepcion said. “They are the experts who have the ability to investigate those claims and it’s better to go ahead and make a report if you feel there may be an unsafe situation than to try and figure it out yourself.”

Centre County Children & Youth Services can be reached by calling 814-355-6755. You can call Mount Nittany Health Children’s Advocacy Center of Centre County at 814-234-6118.

WTAJ’s Tim Durkin contributed to this report.