WAKULLA COUNTY, FL — "The pinwheel is a visual representation of happy childhoods. We want children to have nurtured and caring families, and so the pinwheels are planted in April so that communities see that we are supporting families and that we all have a common goal of nurtured childhoods for children," says Chesley Richardson, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Florida.
Wakulla County neighbors gathered at Azalea Park Wednesday morning to display pinwheels, aiming to bring awareness to child abuse prevention.
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More than 530,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in the United States in 2024, according to the National Children’s Alliance.
In Wakulla County, there have been 37 allegations of physical abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse since the beginning of the year, according to the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office. Last year, in 2025, there were 261 allegations in the county.
Patrick Allison, founder of the Caroline’s Agape Project, helped organize the pinwheel display which can be seen on the Hudson Park side of Azalea Park from Crawfordville Highway. Allison felt it was important to shed light on the issue because children can get lost in the cracks in today’s society.
"One of the least issues that's talked about is child abuse, and that includes not just physical, but mental and sexual. So these kids don't have very much of a voice to help them out there. So I try and do my part to help bring awareness to this issue," Allison said.
Allison says if the display helps at least one child suffering from abuse, it accomplishes what it needed to do.
The awareness effort comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed two bills into law to help protect children. That includes Missy’s Law, which was named after a girl in Tallahassee and strengthens Florida’s pretrial detention system for certain dangerous crimes.
"Now you will go automatically and be remanded to custody, have your sentence, and that will count towards your sentence, obviously it will, but you won't be able to harm other children. And if we had this bill in place then, Missy would be alive today. That's just a fact. We know that," DeSantis said.
Prevent Child Abuse Florida works with families and communities to prevent child abuse by providing education. Chesley Richardson, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Florida, says when parents have access to education and resources, they can make better and safer decisions for their children.
"So when we provide families with education and information, it helps them understand safety practices that are evidence- and research-based. It also allows for parents to understand natural development of their children, which is one of the protective factors that we educate families on, so that they can build bonds and create safe environments," Richardson said.
"Our Safe Sleep education campaign provides materials and education to families [that] have newborns so that we can reduce the risk of unsafe sleep environments, which is a leading cause of death among infants," Richardson said.
Anyone who suspects child abuse can report it online or by phone at 1-800-962-2873.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month.
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