Breckenridge Texan

By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

If you’ve driven past the Stephens County Courthouse in the past week, you may have noticed a few things on the lawn, including white crosses, blue pinwheels, ribbons, and more. Those were all put there by the local Child Welfare Board and some other volunteers in honor of Child Abuse Awareness Month.

Each April, the Stephens County Commissioners Court passes a resolution recognizing the month and gives permission to the Child Welfare Board to decorate the courthouse lawn. On Wednesday, April 1, the volunteers gathered in front of the courthouse and with hammers, ladders, mallets, screwdrivers and other tools, they installed this year’s display that they hope will bring the issue of child abuse to the attention of the Breckenridge community.

The Stephens County Child Welfare Board is made up of Sharon Wimberley, Jan Davis, Linda Lippe, Alva Carey, Carla Barnes, Linda Burdic, Stephanee Russell, Teresa Reynolds and Lin Sims.

Sharon Wimberley, right, and Linda Burdic put blue and silver pinwheels in the display on the Stephens County Courthouse lawn. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

When a Stephens County child enters into the foster care system, the members of the Child Welfare Board are available to help the foster family with unexpected costs. The money for the supplies comes from local donations and contributions from the United Fund. All of the donations are used to buy items for the children; the Child Welfare Board does not give money to foster parents.

“People often ask us, ‘How do you work with these children, and how do you support these children?'” Wimberley told the Stephens County Commissioners. “It’s the people of Stephens County. You cannot believe how wonderful these people are. We send out a letter at the first of the year telling them what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, and by the end of the year, we’ve got more money than we thought we’d ever have in our whole lives.”

Those donations are used to pay for things like doctor visits, baby formula, clothes, school supplies, food or whatever the foster family needs for the children. Additionally, the Child Welfare Board buys gifts for the children at Christmas and sends them cards for other holidays, such as Valentine’s Day.

Last year, they bought new shoes and socks for the local children in foster care, Wimberley said.

But, the decorations on the lawn aren’t to draw attention to the Child Welfare Board members and what they do; it’s to remind the community that there are children in peril locally, as well as throughout the state.

This year, the white crosses are laid out in a design to create a large cross on the lawn. Interspersed among the crosses are blue and silver pinwheels. Blue is the color traditionally associated with child abuse awareness, and the pinwheels represent hope, Wimberley said.

Bob Sims holds the ladder for Paul Lippe as they help the Stephens County Child Welfare Board decorate the courthouse lawn for Child Abuse Awareness Month. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The display also includes red birds, for remembrance and hope for the children, as well as wooden cutouts of children and a banner that informs passersby that last year, Stephens County had 45 children who were victims of child abuse. Other statistics on the sign show that, in Texas last year, 125 children died from abuse or neglect and 51,985 Texas children were confirmed victims of abuse.

Wimberley said the Stephens County courthouse display has been an inspiration to other counties in the area, and other Child Welfare Boards have started to put up their own displays.

April 28 will be “Blue Sunday,” and the Child Welfare Board is asking local churches to get in touch with one of the board members to get information to include in their services and prayers.

Joining the Child Welfare Board members at the March 23 county commissioners meeting were Sadie Bolton and Amanda Outlaw, employees of 2INgage, which partners with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to offer case management, foster care placement, and support services to children and youth in a 30-county area that includes Stephens County.

“I’m not supposed to be partial, but I am to the Child Welfare Board,” County Judge Michael Roach said to the volunteers at the meeting. “I’ve seen firsthand the impact you guys make in kids lives. … It’s heartbreaking, what goes on (sometimes), and there is a light in this community, and you guys are it.”

In addition to the awareness campaign by the Child Welfare Board, the staff of Dr. Goodall’s House is also recognizing Child Abuse Awareness Month. One of their projects is installing pinwheel gardens in yards around Breckenridge to raise awareness for child abuse prevention. Anyone who would like to sponsor a pinwheel garden at their business or home may contact Dr. Goodall’s House at 254-559-5451. Dr. Goodall’s House works in conjunction with Virginia’s House in Graham to serve as a Family Resource Center, offering services for children who have experienced abuse or neglect, advocating for their safety.

Click here to see more pictures in the Breckenridge Texan’s Photo Gallery.

Attending the March 23 Stephens County Commissioners Court meeting, where April was declared Child Abuse Awareness Month, were, from right, County Judge Michael Roach; Child Welfare Board members Lin Sims, Sharon Wimberley, Linda Lippe, Jan Davis, Carla Barnes, Linda Burdic, Alva Carey; and 2INgage representatives Sadie Burton and Amanda Outlaw. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The staff of Dr. Goodall’s House put up a display of blue pinwheels in front of the Breckenridge Medical Center to help raise awareness for child abuse prevention. Local businesses and residents can sponsor a pinwheel garden by calling Dr. Goodall’s House at 254-559-5451. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: Helping to decorate this Stephens County Courthouse lawn for Child Abuse Awareness month were, from left, Sharon Wimberley, Paul Lippe, Jan Davis, Tommy Ruiz, Linda Lippe, Bob Sims, Lin Sims and Thomas Ruiz. Not pictured is Linda Burdic. To see more photos from the event, click here. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)