(Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted by STIR Sherburne County.)

April is national Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month. In Minnesota, FamilyWise Services is the lead agency for child abuse prevention and the home of Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota following its 2020 merger with Minnesota Communities Caring for Children (MCCC). We share resources with partners, expand access to services, and balance conditions for positive childhood experiences to enrich every community and support parents and caregivers.

Each year during April, FamilyWise recognizes its partners across the state who support child and family wellbeing with its Pinwheels for Prevention award. These partners provide services to families, create spaces to develop community connections, and raise awareness about the importance of supporting families and children. 

STIR (Stronger Together Inspiring Resiliance) is being recognized for multiple campaigns and resources to promote healing, inspire resilience, share social connections, and celebrate the whole person through mind, body, and spirit throughout Sherburne County.

“STIR is delighted that our social media campaigns and website (www.STIRMN.org), which are designed to promote resilience in our community, are being recognized at the statewide level for helping to strengthen Sherburne County families,” said Victoria Johannes, Social Services Supervisor at Sherburne County Health and Human Services. “We hope the Pinwheels for Prevention award helps encourage community members to seek out our website and Facebook page to see more of what we are all about!”

“FamilyWise is dedicated to supporting parents and caregivers in building thriving families and creating fertile environments for healthy childhoods through parent education, wraparound services and early childhood education,” said Ann Gaasch, FamilyWise Services Executive Director. “This collaborative work with our statewide network has always been essential to family and community health, but over the past three years families have experienced new and acute stresses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty related to school and employment schedules, and the realities of social and economic injustice. The Pinwheel for Prevention awards honor the work these organizations do for families in our communities.”