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Council Courier
May-June 2024
A Special Publication for PCAIN Chartered Council Members
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2024 Child Abuse Prevention Month Recap | |
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PCAIN partners with fifty-six local child abuse prevention councils across Indiana, which represent sixty-two counties. The local councils constitute the grass roots voice of child abuse prevention and help tailor prevention work around the unique needs of the counties and regions they serve. The issues for how abuse and neglect manifest itself differ in each community of Indiana and these local councils assist with keeping the message of primary prevention front and center.
Every year, PCAIN asks chartered local child abuse prevention councils to share the events they are involved with in April to help promote awareness and reinforce the importance of collaboration to positively impact the issue of child abuse and neglect. This year, there were forty-five different April events that occurred throughout Indiana, and those were just the ones we knew about.
This was the busiest and most impactful month we can remember, highlighting the importance of working in partnership to prevent child abuse and neglect. Dr. Melissa Merrick, President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America has reiterated that the work of child abuse prevention can only be effective in collaboration. There was a true sense of partnership palpable across Indiana in April, and we have all of you to thank! Please watch the video montage, created by Kathy King, PCAIN Support Specialist, which brings into focus the collective impact of our efforts.
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PCAIN Child Abuse Month Kickoff
Pinwheels & Pastries
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PCAIN held its annual kickoff event at The Villages offices in Indianapolis on April 1st. There was a great turnout of community partners, Villages staff, and passionate child abuse prevention advocates to get the month of April started on a positive note.
Short presentations were provided by Cheryl Ramey-Hunt, Riley Hospital for Children, Gayle Smith, Care Source, and Shannon Schumacher, The Villages, which were followed by a reception with snacks donated by PACE Dairy and Kroger. Finally, pinwheels were planted in front of the Villages offices around banners promoting National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Thank you to all who prioritized their time and involvement in this meaningful event.
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Matt Breman was a former Board President of Prevent Child Abuse Indiana, who passed away unexpectedly in 2003, leaving behind his wife Rhonda Yoder Breman and children Jack and Elizabeth. An annual tribute event, Matt Breman Run was established in 2006 to carry forward Matts’ passion and raise funding to support child abuse and neglect prevention, awareness, and education.
This year, the 18th annual Matt Breman Run raised $25,085.22 through corporate sponsorships, race registrations, and donations! These funds directly aid the free, statewide, primary prevention awareness efforts and education programs such as Safe Tots, Stewards of Children, Trauma and Brain Development, Bullying Prevention, and many others, which empower communities to protect and nurture our youth.
Together, we continue Matt’s mission of building brighter futures for all Hoosier children.
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Tribute to Former Lake County CAP Council President - Joy Heminger | |
Steven Covey, famous author, and educator, wrote a number of books dealing with how to successfully prioritize, navigate, and live a life of significance. One of his most famous books, 7 Habits for Highly Effective People, identifies habit number two as “Begin with the End in Mind.” This translates into envisioning a positive end to a plan, whether a short-term project or a long-term life goal, and proceeding in such a way as to ensure the successful outcome of that plan. It is common for people to judge themselves more harshly than others, which is why sincere feedback and evaluation from those closest to us may be the most accurate way to determine the value or impact of our work/life.
The following tribute to Joy Heminger, child abuse prevention champion, exemplifies what many would consider a life well lived.
Joy Ryleen (Brown) Heminger 11-5-1939 to 12-27-2023 (Age 84)
Joy’s career took her from La Porte County, Indiana to Chicago, Illinois where she was employed by the National Committee for The Prevention of Child Abuse. Now known as Prevent Child Abuse America.
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New & Coming Soon to PCAIN | |
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The next scheduled Statewide Council Virtual Meeting is scheduled for June 6th @ Noon – 1:30pm. (Eastern time).
Please register and participate in this important quarterly meeting. We would love to see a representative from each Chartered Council.
Click HERE TO REGISTER; then the meeting link will be emailed to you - coming from "The Villages". Please check your junk/spam folder if it looks like you haven't received the link.
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CHARTERING
PCAIN continues to re-evaluate the complete package and process for local child abuse prevention councils to become and remain chartered. A volunteer group of council leaders has been meeting regularly to collaborate with PCAIN leadership in consideration of necessary and helpful changes, which prioritize sustainability and increased impact. Please keep an eye out for a survey, which will be sent soon, where your feedback is requested on key issues informing these changes.
The goal is to have the new chartering process completed and shared with all current chartered councils in advance of the annual chartering period, from October – December 2024. Your role in creating a comprehensive ecosystem for primary child abuse prevention in Indiana is essential!
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LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY
PCAIN has listened to feedback from local councils, stakeholders, and community partners in the work of child abuse prevention. The work of prevention cannot stop at promoting awareness and education, it must delve more deeply into the area of legislative advocacy to bring about lasting and more impactful change.
Therefore, PCAIN, through collaboration in large part with Kailey Potts, Ph.D. intern from Purdue University in the field of Nursing, with input and feedback from the newly formed PCAIN legislative advocacy subcommittee, and Kelly Crane, Policy and Government Relations Manager at Prevent Child Abuse America, has developed a packet of information and processes to assist with taking your efforts in child abuse prevention to the next level.
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Please look for those resources soon through future issues of the Council Courier and in the password protected PCAIN Council Leaders area of our website. | |
Kids First Trust Fund License Plates | |
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Help support statewide efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect by purchasing and/or promoting the Kids First Trust Fund license plate. Funding from these license plates helps us work with all Prevention Councils throughout Indiana.
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Questions, Concerns, Requests - Call us using our Toll-Free Number: 1-800-874-6880 or email Jeff Wittman, PCAIN Director
PCAIN Website Links:
Thank you all for working hard to ensure the children of Indiana have great childhoods!
We are lucky to have a network of professionals and community members who work nonstop to ensure children grow up in households and communities free from abuse and neglect.
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Prevent Child Abuse Indiana
A Division of The Villages of Indiana
317-775-6500
www.pcain.org
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