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Oceana County Probate Judge Bradley Lambrix, at left, with local representatives involved in the fight against child abuse.
‘It should not hurt to be a child.’
#OceanaCountyCASA
By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.
HART — “It should not hurt to be a child,” said Oceana County Probate Judge Bradley Lambrix during a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) presentation Thursday, April 5, in front of the courthouse.
The program is held annually in conjunction with April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“The Children’s Trust Fund established the Blue Ribbon Campaign in 1989,” Lambrix said, and adopted the slogan, “It should not hurt to be a child.” The blue pinwheels were introduced as a national symbol for child abuse protection.
Gov. Rick Snyder signed a resolution to “commit to the power of one,” the judge said. “One person, one community, one dollar, one action can help protect a child and prevent child abuse.”
Statewide, approximately 13,000 children are likely to be in foster care this year, he said. There are 27 CASA programs that serve approximately 1,600 children with 673 CASA volunteers, Lambrix said.
“Our goal is to ensure every child is cared for, loved, and protected from abuse and neglect. But as you can see, there is still a lot of work to be done, and we need more volunteers to complete that work.”
Currently, there are seven CASA volunteers in Oceana County, but more are needed. If you are interested in becoming a CASA volunteer and making a difference in a child’s life, call CASA at 616-796-4658.
Lambrix credited community partners, such as local enforcement and the Department of Health and Human and Services, for their work in preventing child abuse and neglect. “They work daily to deal with these issues,” he said.
“I encourage you to continue to fight the fight against child abuse and neglect and ensure the children in our community are safe.”
This story is copyrighted © 2018, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.
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