Residents packed into the Saline County Courthouse rotunda Friday, April 4, many of them wearing blue, to mark April as Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month.

The ten-minute ceremony included remarks from Stephanie Dierker, who serves Saline County in the Children’s Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services. She stresses the need to say something if you see suspected child abuse.

Dierker explains the steps that the Children’s Division can take to make sure children are no longer in situations of abuse or neglect.

Marshall Schools Supt. Caleb Petet and Social Work Coordinator Whitney O’Bryan also addressed the crowd, while the Saline County Commission and City of Marshall presented proclamations recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.  The Bueker Middle School choir also performed a selection, lining the third floor railing around the rotunda.

If you suspect a child is experiencing abuse or neglect, you’re strongly encouraged to call the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect hotline at 800-392-3738. You can also make a report through the Department of Social Services’ website.