Photo By Jeremy Brooks | Walter Reed National Military Medical Center commanding officer Navy Capt. Mark...... read more read more
Proclamation Signing
Pinwheels adorned the atrium of Bldg. 17 April 10 as Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) Fleet and Family Support Center Family Advocacy Program (FAP) held its first Child Abuse Prevention Month proclamation signing.
“Every child should be able to move freely in life like a rotating pinwheel, anchored by loving, supportive families and communities,” read FAP Clinical Case Manager Danielle Birx-Raybuck from the proclamation.
The pinwheel is the national symbol of child abuse prevention, said Lawanda Dezurn, FAP victim advocate.
“By its very nature the pinwheel promotes whimsical and childlike emotions,” Dezurn said. “In its essence, it has come to serve as the physical embodiment of the great childhood that we want for all our children.”
However, child abuse and neglect remains a community concern, and “our military is part of that community ,” said Fred Sherris, FFSC work and family life supervisor. “Each community has a legal and moral obligation to promote the safety and wellbeing of children, which includes responding effectively to child maltreatment. We need to know the signs of child abuse.”
NSAB Commanding Officer Capt. Marvin L. Jones encouraged attendees to take a pinwheel to remember their role in preventing child abuse.
“We need to step back and ask ourselves, ‘How are we doing?’ ‘How are we doing when it comes to strengthening our family?’ ‘How are we doing and what work are we doing?’” Jones encouraged those in attendance to ask themselves. “This is a time to reflect, not just today, but every day. Not just this month, but every day of this year to refocus on strengthening the family and making sure we can do everything we can for our children.”
Resources were highlighted through the atrium of ways to report child abuse, and learn of FAP programs and classes.
The FAP victim advocate after-hours number is 301-219-2816 or 240-383-0299.
Armed Forces Center for Child Protection
On April 3, Donna Kahn, Armed Forces Center for Child Protection pediatric nurse practitioner, explained the center’s mission at a training as part of Child Abuse Prevention Month at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Bethesda.
The center started in 1998 and its mission is to provide objective child maltreatment expertise when and wherever it’s needed. The center has two child abuse pediatricians, a pediatric nurse practitioner, a social work consultant/forensic interviewer and a clinic manager.
A bulk of the work is reviewing cases for a medical legal case review, but the center also sees patients, Kahn explained. And the center does training to make sure physical abuse evaluations are done correctly.
“Sometimes medical exams are there, but they’re not complete,” Kahn said. “Children go in for physical abuse evaluations and they’re not disrobed. Can you find bruises and abrasions if you don’t disrobe a child?”
She said the best way to find out from a child whether they are being neglected is asking questions about activities and daily living.
“‘What did you have for dinner last night?’ ‘Tell me about your toothbrush,’” she gave as examples. “I could tell you story after story of kids I’ve medically interviewed and examined where nothing else popped out until I asked those questions.”
Individual poverty and community poverty are risk factors for child abuse and Kahn said there’s not enough being done to screen to screen service members for poverty issues, such as food insecurity.
“We assume because they’re in the military that they make a lot of money and that they can appropriately take care of their kids,” Kahn said. “My hope is that many more clinics will screen for poverty, food insecurity and neglect.”
She said a lot of low-income parents take really good care of their children, except they lack necessary supports so when they go to work they leave their children unattended because they don’t have anyone who can watch them while they’re at work.
“Until we cure poverty, we are not curing child abuse,” Kahn said.
The center is located on the 10th floor of the tower at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Contact the center at 301-295-4100 or visit go.usa.gov/xQ4Tw.
| Date Taken: | 04.19.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.20.2018 14:41 |
| Story ID: | 273822 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NSAB Observes National Child Abuse Prevention Month, by Andrew Damstedt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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