April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. But the truth is, prevention doesn’t belong to just one month.

It lives in everyday moments. In conversations between parents. In communities showing up for one another. In the systems and policies that make it easier for families to thrive.

That’s why April matters so much. It’s not the finish line. It’s a catalyst.

What We Built Together

Thanks to partners and supporters across Colorado, the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign reached 46 counties (and even a few other states!).

That kind of reach doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because people care and take action.

How People Showed Up

Throughout the month, we saw communities engage in meaningful ways:

• • Organizations sharing campaign messaging across social media and newsletters
  • Local leaders and partners helping elevate the importance of strengthening families
  • Individuals starting conversations about what prevention looks like in their own lives
  • Communities participating in awareness activities and events

Each of these actions—big or small—helps shift the narrative toward one where families are supported and children are safe.

Why It Matters

At its core, prevention is about building the conditions where families have what they need before challenges turn into crises.

That includes:

• • Strong social connections
  • Access to resources and support
  • Communities that show up for one another
  • Policies that prioritize family well-being

April helps shine a light on these ideas. But the real impact happens every month of the year.

What Comes Next

As we move into May and beyond, we have the opportunity to carry this momentum forward.

Whether you’re a professional, a parent, a community member, or a policymaker, there’s a role for you in prevention.

You can:

• • Take a training to deepen your knowledge
  • Join a coalition working in your community
  • Get involved in programs that directly support families
  • Advocate for policies that make a difference

Because prevention isn’t a campaign. It’s a commitment. And we’re building something together that lasts far beyond April.

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Each April, communities across Colorado recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM) through the Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign. This year’s theme, Pinwheels of Possibility, celebrates the limitless potential of children and families when communities come together to support them.

At Illuminate Colorado, we lead the Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign as the Colorado state chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. The spinning blue pinwheel offers a powerful reminder of what that support looks like. With families at the center, each turn represents the systems, programs, policies, and everyday acts of care that help strengthen families and create the conditions where children can thrive.

At a time when many families are facing rising costs, increased stress, and gaps in access to care and support, the message of this campaign is clear: when we invest in families early and often, we create the conditions where children can grow up safe, supported, and full of possibility.

Prevention isn’t about reacting to harm after it happens. It’s about building communities where families have the support they need from the start—through stable housing, access to child care and health care, supportive relationships, and strong community connections.

That’s why Child Abuse Prevention Month is so important. It’s a time to highlight what works, uplift families, and bring people together around the shared belief that prevention is possible.

How to Get Involved

There are many ways to participate in Child Abuse Prevention Month and help share prevention-focused messages across Colorado.

Visit the Campaign Website

Our campaign website is the central hub for resources, updates, and ways to engage throughout April.

Download the CAPM Toolkit

The CAPM 2026 Toolkit makes it easy to participate and share strength-based messages in your community. The toolkit includes:

• • A messaging guide to help frame conversations about prevention
  • Ready-to-use social media graphics and captions
  • Flyers and newsletter blurbs you can share with your networks
  • Zoom backgrounds to show your support during virtual meetings
  • Spanish-language materials, including a Spanish flyer and social media copy
  • …and more!

Whether you’re planning an event, posting on social media, or sharing information with colleagues and families, the toolkit provides simple ways to get involved.

Become an Official Campaign Partner

Individuals and organizations across Colorado can also become official CAPM campaign partners, joining a statewide network of communities working together to promote prevention and family well-being.

Campaign partners help amplify prevention messages, share resources with their communities, and highlight the importance of supporting families year-round.

Check Out the Community Calendar

Throughout April, partners across Colorado will be hosting events, trainings, and activities in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month.

You can explore what’s happening by visiting the Community Calendar on the campaign website—and if your organization is hosting an event related to Child Abuse Prevention Month, we encourage you to add your event using the form at the bottom of the page.

Join Us for Pinwheels in the Chambers

We’ll officially launch Child Abuse Prevention Month on April 1st with our annual Pinwheels in the Chambers event at the Colorado State Capitol.

The morning begins with a light breakfast and the presentation of the 2026 Illuminating Leadership Awards, recognizing leaders who are making a difference in the family strengthening field. Following the awards, participants will head to the Senate and House galleries to witness Child Abuse Prevention Month tributes being read.

We invite partners and community members to wear blue and RSVP to join us as we launch this important month together.

Building Brighter Childhoods Together

Child Abuse Prevention Month is a reminder that strong families and strong communities go hand in hand. When we invest in prevention—through connection, support, and shared responsibility—we help create a future where all children can grow up healthy and safe.

We hope you’ll join us this April as part of the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign and help build brighter childhoods across Colorado.

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This April, communities across Colorado and the nation came together for Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM)—a time to uplift the ways we all play a role in strengthening families and preventing child maltreatment. At Illuminate Colorado, this month is more than a campaign. It’s a reflection of our mission in action—and we couldn’t do it without you.

Together, We Made an Impact

Throughout April, people from every corner of the state joined us in building brighter childhoods. Here are just a few highlights from an incredible month:

• Stood together at the Colorado State Capitol as the Colorado House and Senate recognized Child Abuse Prevention Month with official tributes, reaffirming our collective commitment to families and children.
• Celebrated seven remarkable leaders with the Illuminating Leadership Awards—honoring community members, organizations, advocates, and professionals who go above and beyond to strengthen families in Colorado.
• Empowered local outreach with 214 downloads of the CAPM Campaign Toolkit—providing resources and messaging to drive awareness across the state.
• Welcomed 32 official campaign partners who shared our message, hosted events, and engaged their communities in prevention.
• Raised nearly $15,000 to support ongoing programs and initiatives focused on preventing child maltreatment and supporting families year-round.

Your Support Made It Happen

Every pinwheel planted, every story shared, every conversation started—these are acts of prevention. And whether you showed up at an event, donated to support our work, or simply shared a post, you were part of this movement. Thank you.

Prevention Doesn’t Stop in April

While Child Abuse Prevention Month may be over, our work continues. Prevention happens every day, in every season—and there are countless ways to stay involved:

• Take a Training – Learn how to strengthen families, create environments where all children can thrive, and other ways you can make a difference.
• Support Our Work – Your donation helps us continue to support, advocate, educate, and collaborate statewide.
• Stay Updated – Subscribe to one of our email lists and stay up to date on opportunities to engage.
• Get Involved – Join one of our coalitions, join a Circle of Parents group, or partner with us in another capacity.

Together, we can create a Colorado where all children and families thrive—every month of the year.

Thank you for being part of building brighter childhoods.

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April is Child Abuse Prevention Month—a time to come together to build awareness, strengthen families, and support the communities that help kids thrive. The first week of the month was packed with powerful moments that brought people together around a shared commitment to prevention.

From Pinwheels in the Chambers & the Illuminating Leadership Awards to Wear Blue Day, we saw just how strong our statewide network of advocates, professionals, and families really is. And what better way to tell the story than through photos?

Celebrating Leaders in Prevention

We kicked off the month in Denver for Pinwheels in the Chambers on April 1. Community members,  advocates, and leaders in the family strengthening field started out the morning by recognizing and celebrating the recipients of this year’s Illuminating Leadership Awards.

Each year, Illuminate honors the contributions of exceptional individuals and organizations who have furthered our collective mission to strengthen families, organizations and communities to prevent child maltreatment. The 2025 award recipients were:

Left to right: Dr. Skip Barber, Domenica Steele, Nick Pirnack, Adam Cohen, Kerri Beattie

Left to right: Jade Woodard, Illuminate Colorado Executive Director; Judge Bonnie McLean; Erin Baker-Ojeda, Illuminate Colorado Safe Babies Community Coordinator

Judge William Alexander joined us virtually from Pueblo!

Honoring Child Abuse Prevention Month at the Colorado State Capitol

Award recipients and state leaders were honored to be on the floor of the House during the tribute reading.

A strong showing of support for Child Abuse Prevention Month in the Senate!

The Illuminate staff wearing blue!

The energy and connection from the first week of CAP Month remind us that prevention is possible—and it’s happening every day in communities across Colorado. Thank you to everyone who showed up, spoke out, and wore blue to help build a better future for kids and families!

Want to learn more about the Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign?

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