Blue Ribbons Focus on Kids

To bring attention to child abuse and neglect, the Oklahoma State Department of Health is urging people to participate in a statewide project called "Build a Blue Ribbon Tree for Kids."

By KIM ARCHER World Staff Writer
Published: 1/30/2010  2:23 AM
Last Modified: 1/30/2010  5:35 AM

Kai'den Terry, 48 days old.

Emily Hernandez, 2 years old.

Eric McIntosh, 10 months old.

These are just a few of the Oklahoma children who police and prosecutors say were abused and died in the past three years.

More than 13,000 children were confirmed abused or neglected in 2007. Thirty-nine Oklahoma kids died from abuse or neglect that year, seven of whom lived in Tulsa County, according to Department of Human Services data.

The majority of those children were 2 years old or younger, it said.

In an effort to bring attention to abuse and neglect, the Oklahoma State Department of Health is urging people to participate in a statewide project called "Build a Blue Ribbon Tree for Kids."

This year's theme is: It's your turn to make a difference for a child.

More than 8,600 Oklahoma children were confirmed abused or neglected in fiscal year 2009.

"You can make a difference, whether it's helping a stressed-out parent in public or providing an extra hand or an encouraging word," said Sherie Trice, the agency's grant coordinator for community-based child abuse prevention.

Trice urges communities, churches, schools and individuals to decorate a tree with blue ribbons — the international sign of child abuse prevention. They will serve as a constant reminder that all of us have a responsibility to keep children safe.

"Hopefully, having blue-ribbon towns and communities would place more of a priority on building safer communities," she said.
Blue ribbon trees
Ribbons can represent anything from the number of babies born in your county to the number of confirmed cases of abuse.

Take a photo of your blue ribbon tree project, fill out a tree registry form and register it with the Health Department. A slideshow of last year’s trees will be shown Tuesday, Feb. 23, at Child Abuse Prevention Day at the Capitol. This year’s trees will be shown next year.

Blue ribbon trees must be registered by Friday, May 7.

To register your tree, or for information, go to: http://okcountykids.org/BuildaBlueRibbonTree.aspx

Source: Oklahoma State Department of Health