The “Pinwheels for Prevention” movement is bringing the belief in prevention to life in a number of ways in communities nationwide. The movement is based on the belief that we must do more than simply respond to cases of abuse through prosecution and intervention – we need to provide programs and policies that focus on the child development process, engage communities and create conditions that allow parents to be the kind of parents they want to be. These programs and policies include strategies such as home visiting, parent education, mutual self-help support, mental health services and substance abuse treatment. 

Prevention priorities have historically lagged behind abuse response measures such as intervention and prosecution, but the “winds of change” have clearly begun to blow. The Pinwheels for Prevention movement began in the wake of a study released by PCA America and the Pew Charitable Trusts. The study documents pervasive and long-lasting effects of child abuse and neglect on children, their families and society as a whole.

 Pinwheels for Prevention is the grassroots signature campaign for PCA America and its 50 chapters nationwide. The pinwheel has come to symbolize a person’s commitment to truly preventative measures, such as home visitation services, parent education and the overall re-prioritization of our policies, programs and resources to ensure that every child in the United States is provided with a healthy, safe and nurturing home and an involved, supportive and caring community.

We are asking that schools, towns, businesses, communities and the public plant a pinwheel garden to reflect the support for child abuse prevention. Email pcavt@pcavt.org or call 802-229-5724 to order your pinwheels for $1 each, with the suggested amount being 100 pinwheels.