April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

In a news conference last week, First Lady Victoria Bartlett, joined by Jim Bender, Parent Child Center Board President and Desiree Doherty, Executive Director of The Parent Child Center of Tulsa, declared April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month in Tulsa.
"April is devoted to celebrating everything we can do to transform our community into a place that cares about and actively supports families and children. I appreciate and acknowledge the dedicated efforts of The Parent Child Center of Tulsa at preventing child abuse through education, treatment and advocacy. A safe and economically strong community starts with childhood and grows from there," said Victoria Bartlett.
According to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, an estimated 108,289 children were alleged to be victims of child abuse in 2009, with 8,605 children confirmed. Dr. Robert Block, chairman of the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine department of Pediatrics estimates the annual cost of child abuse and neglect to Oklahoma is more than $270 million. Each year, nearly 1,000 Tulsa County children are treated on an outpatient basis for child abuse and neglect. An additional 200 children are hospitalized.
Desiree Doherty, Executive Director of The Parent Child Center of Tulsa said, "Every day I see the results of failing to stop child abuse. Children suffer physically and emotionally, families are torn apart, and society as a whole is degraded. That is why our agency's mission is to help educate the community on the value of preventing child abuse. Here in Tulsa our children make up 25 percent of our population but they are 100 percent part of our future. Let us commit ourselves to protecting and nurturing the children we love, and caring about our community's children who are at risk."
Bank of Oklahoma sponsored last week's news conference. At the conclusion of the event attendees tied blue ribbons on a tree set up in the Bank of Oklahoma Tower lobby as a community pledge to honor and cherish the children in their lives during National Child Abuse Prevention Month.