HARRISBURG, Penn.--Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance, a leader in child abuse prevention, and its leading sponsors, and PSECU have launched the nomination period for the 2020 PA Blue Ribbon Champions for Safe Kids Awards today. Recipients will be announced in April, National Child Abuse Prevention Month, at ceremonies in Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ Annual Child Protective Services Report, 47 children in the commonwealth died of child abuse in 2018. A total of 5,102 children were victims of abuse, including 89 children who suffered near-fatal injuries.
As in years past, PFSA will honor five statewide individuals for their efforts to protect the well-being of children, including two child welfare professionals, two community volunteers, and one media professional. Any individual who has worked or volunteered to protect Pennsylvania children from abuse and neglect is eligible. Media nominees must have covered Pennsylvania child abuse-related issues in 2019. Award recipients will be announced and celebrated at a ceremony on April 8 in the Pennsylvania State Capitol Rotunda.
PFSA also will honor one Allegheny County Champion for Safe Kids. Eligible nominees include any professional, volunteer, press member, or media entity whose work focused on children affected by abuse in Allegheny County. A ceremony will be held in Pittsburgh on April 1 to honor both the award recipient and the child victims of abuse.
2020 PFSA PA Blue Ribbon Champions for Safe Kids Awards nomination forms, criteria, and instructions are available at pablueribbonchampion.org/nominate. The deadline for nomination entries is February 24. Independent panels of judges will determine the winners.
“Through the PA Blue Ribbon Champions for Safe Kids Awards, we’re coming together as a Pennsylvania community to recognize and thank individuals who go above and beyond to make sure our children are safe from harm and also help raise awareness around this very serious issue,” said PSECU President and CEO George Rudolph. “As a credit union, PSECU is committed to the ‘people helping people’ philosophy. Our support of Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance and these awards is a demonstration of that commitment; on behalf of our more than 450,000 members across the state and beyond, we’re very excited to be involved in this very important program!”
Additionally, as part of its National Child Abuse Prevention Month programming, PFSA will plant small flags bearing the blue child abuse awareness ribbon on April 4 in Harrisburg and Pittsburgh in remembrance of victims of child abuse.