Paint the Town Blue for Child Abuse Prevention Awareness

SALEM, Ore. — On Friday, April 4, Marion County Commissioners Kevin Cameron and Danielle Bethell participated in the “Paint the Town Blue” parade from the Oregon State Fairgrounds to the Salem Police Department, joining community partners in recognizing Child Abuse Prevention Month.

There were 11,191 confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect in Oregon in 2023, and 979 of these cases were in Marion County. Of those children, 36.5% were five years old or younger.   

“These statistics are not only heartbreaking, they’re frankly unacceptable,” said Commissioner Danielle Bethell, who spoke at the event. “I’m grateful for the work of the County and our community partners, like CASA, Liberty House, and Family Building Blocks to both identify cases of abuse and to provide the resources and safety so many of these kids need.”

Blue pinwheels were planted at the Salem Police Department serving as a symbol to the campaign's prevention efforts. These are a sobering reminder to our community why we must stay focused on preventing child abuse and neglect before it starts.

We all have a role to play in preventing child abuse and neglect. For information about how you can help, please visit: parentforthefuture.org.