Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA), the commonwealth’s leading child abuse prevention organization, and Pennsylvania’s largest credit union, PSECU, today launched the 2018 PA Blue Ribbon Champions for Safe Kids Awards competition. PFSA’s acclaimed program Champions for Safe Kids honors Pennsylvania residents and child welfare professionals. PFSA will announce and celebrate the award winners at a ceremony on April 4 at 11 a.m. at the State Capitol.
“We launched the PA Blue Ribbon Champions for Safe Kids campaign last year and it has been a phenomenal success in bringing attention to child abuse and prevention efforts,” said Angela Liddle, PFSA’s president and CEO. “Every day, in every corner of this commonwealth, champions for kids step up and protect them from harm. These heroes report suspected abuse to ChildLine. They safely intervene to help a child in need of protection. And, they give of their time and talents to causes that benefit kids. Help us honor them: Nominate a PA Blue Ribbon Champ today!”
In addition to honoring two child welfare professionals and two everyday citizens, PFSA this year adds a new category to the competition – PA Blue Ribbon Media Champion for Safe Kids. Any professional working journalist or a media entity that publishes content for broadcast, cable, digital, internet, photography, print, or web-based platforms is eligible. The media nominee must have demonstrated a commitment to covering child abuse and child protection-related issues in Pennsylvania in 2017. All nomination forms, criteria, and instructions for submission can be found at www.pablueribbonchampion.org/
“At PSECU, we believe that the health, safety, and well-being of children is a top priority, and as part of our ‘people helping people’ credit union philosophy, we’re committed to helping build communities in which children can safely grow and thrive. That’s why we are proud to join Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance and this movement to protect our youth,” said Karen Roland, PSECU Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications and member of PFSA’s Board of Directors. “By showcasing child protection heroes, we bring attention to the many ways that each and every Pennsylvanian can make a positive difference in children’s lives.”
The 2018 PA Blue Ribbon Champions for Safe Kids Awards evaluation panel members are: Ira Weiss, Esq., Chairman, WBK, Weiss Burkardt Kramer, LLC; Terry Clark, Director, York County Children, Youth and Families; Steve Doerner, Director, Bucks County Child Advocacy Center; Cynthia Figueroa, Commissioner, Department of Human Services, City of Philadelphia; and Brenda Lawrence, Program Administrator, Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN).
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, 46 children in the commonwealth died of child abuse-related causes in 2016, and there were 4,597 substantiated reports of child abuse, including 79 children who suffered near-fatal injuries.
“Those statistics are horrifying,” Liddle said. “But I take some comfort in knowing that more than 8,000 ordinary Pennsylvanians intervened last year to protect a child. We need to let people know their voice can save children’s lives. That’s the power of our PA Blue Ribbon Champions for Safe Kids!”