Child Abuse Prevention Month Begins With Rally on Oregon State Capitol Steps

Rally will take place on state capitol steps Photo By: Tim King

(SALEM) - A Child Abuse Prevention Rally on the capitol steps Tuesday will mark the beginning of Child Abuse Prevention Month activities in Marion County. The rally will be held on Tuesday, April 4th, from noon to 1:00 PM on the steps of the Oregon State Capitol.

In 2004, the most recent year for which statistics are available, there were 10,622 confirmed cases of child abuse in the state of Oregon, almost half of which were under the age of six. Of those 10,622 victims, 1,306 were in Marion County.

Eight children died as a result of child abuse and neglect in Oregon in 2004. This event will also highlight the increasing number of children being placed in foster care with an average of 1,150 children in foster care on any given day.

The goal of this rally and Child Abuse Prevention Month is to call the community to action, according to Marion County Sheriff Raul Ramirez, "To encourage people to be part of the solution and not part of the problem of child abuse and to help everyone understand that we all can make a positive difference in a child`s life."