You may have noticed pinwheels around town. They are meant to represent hope during Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Channel 9 has partnered with Children’s Advocacy Centers of North Carolina.
Each year, the nonprofit helps more than 12,000 children who have experienced abuse.
According to Executive Director Deana Joy, in the last decade, demand for services at the centers, like Pat’s Place in Charlotte, has gone up 74%.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an increase in abuse.
“What I think we’re seeing happen is that there’s more awareness in the community of our services, and therefore more people are reporting that weren’t reporting prior, and children are getting access to services that they would not have had previously,” Joy explained.
Pat’s Place said children are more likely to get the help they need when they are connected to a center. And those centers rely on public donations to continue operating.
You can find a list of every child advocacy center in North Carolina here.
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