By Aditi Srivastav Bussells

I look forward to April in Columbia. The weather starts getting warmer (although I could do without the pollen), the days get longer, and the Fireflies are back in town. In fact, my weekends are already packed with a ton of activities and events through the rest of the month. But these aren’t the only reasons why I like April. I especially like April because it's Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month offers a special opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of giving kids a chance to live their best lives.

Child abuse can be a scary concept to think about and an even harder one to talk about. But we all understand its consequences, which go way beyond childhood and can affect things like our health, our family, our community, and even our economy. Even for someone like me, who doesn’t have kids yet, these consequences matter. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you care about Cola being an amazing place to live, work and play.

Luckily, we have the power to do something about it.

Join me this month by wearing blue to symbolize your commitment to preventing child abuse. Take a moment to find all the pinwheel gardens across town, point them out to your friends and family, and share how the pinwheel symbolizes a healthy, happy, childhood. Learn more about how you can help continue to make Columbia a place where #GreatChildhoods happen.

Aditi Srivastav Bussells is the Senior Director of Research and Data for Children's Trust of South Carolina.

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