Providence signs on to support awareness of child abuse
March 29th, 2013 Posted in OpinionPROVIDENCE – Diane Behl appeared before the City Council Tuesday night to ask Providence to recognize the importance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. Councilman Don Calderwood, acting mayor while Ron Liechty is away on business, said he saw no reason the city wouldn’t lend support.
Behl, vice president of the Child and Family Support Center board of directors, said her organization focuses on the prevention of child abuse and neglect through organization and a close community. The center considers its main priority to be the safety and well-being of children and their family structures.
The center received more than 9,000 calls to its crisis hotline in the past year, Behl said. The center also provided more than 900 parents the opportunity to enroll in parental education classes during that time.
“The role that we all can take can make a big difference for that one child or parent,” Behl said. “It’s going to take all of us in the community to be working on that. I hope that you see us serving Providence as well as the whole community and making the difference for our families.”
The Child and Family Support Center has planned an array of activities to be held throughout April, Behl said, including the Blue Ribbon Benefit dinner and auction, a fundraising event scheduled for Friday, April 12.
Behl asked the council to select a citizen to serve as the city’s liaison to the center. This official would relay information from the center to the citizens of Providence.
Calderwood didn’t feel it would be appropriate to appoint anyone to the position during Liechty’s absence. “I think we’ll let Mayor Liechty decide,” Calderwood said. “Since I’m sitting in his place, he’ll be back in a few days and we’ll give it to him and let him designate a liaison person.”
Calderwood read the official proclamation to those in attendance and encouraged all community members to make themselves aware of the importance of child abuse prevention. He reiterated the fact every member of the Cache Valley community can make a difference in someone’s life.
“As acting mayor, I’d be glad to sign this,” he said, applying his signature to the document.
NW
Tags: child abuse awareness, Diane Behl, Providence City Council
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