New poster boosts 'Choose Your Partner Carefully' campaign

May 17, 2010

A new color poster ready for public release is aimed at promoting the "Choose Your Partner Carefully" campaign.

Richland County Children Services, in conjunction with The Domestic Violence Shelter and the Richland County Foundation Women's Fund, kicked off the informational campaign in February.

The new poster is just the latest tool in the effort to educate the public about potential dangers to children. RCCS and the DV Shelter have done numerous speaking engagements on the topic and will continue the effort going forward.

"One-third of the child abuse/neglect investigations our agency did in 2009 involved an adult who was not related to the child," Children Services communications supervisor Carl Hunnell said. "That means in about 900 cases, the alleged perpetrator was someone a parent or guardian allowed access to the child."

The poster is titled "Choose Your Partner Carefully:Your child's life may depend on it." To view a PDF of the poster, click here.

The agency printed 1,000 of the posters and will spend the next few weeks getting it posted in schools, hospitals, other human service agencies, police departments, doctors' offices, etc.

"We have some places in mind to place the poster. But if your business or agency is interested in posting it, please contact Greg Kahl at 419-774-4100 and we will one to you," Hunnell said.

Hunnell said the campaign is aimed at at all parents and guardians with a special emphasis on young, single moms who may not be aware of the potential hazards.

"It may be a boyfriend, girlfriend, stepmom, stepdad, babysitter, coach, etc.," Hunnell said. "This kind of violence is not tied to any specific gender. We had a case in March where a dad's girlfriend punched his 3-year-old daughter in the face, giving her a black eye and also chipping some of her teeth.

"If we can get the word to these parents that they need to be careful about whom they involve their children with, maybe we can stop abuse before it starts," he said.

The poster includes some questions parents and/ot guardians should ask themselves about people they allow around their child.

1. Does this person show anger or impatience when your child cries or has a tantrum?

2. Does this person call your child bad names or put him/her down?

3. Does this person think it's funny to scare your child?

4. Does this person stop you from bringing your child to his/her family events?

5. Does this person seek to make all decisions for you and your child?

6. Does this person pretend that when he/she hurts your child that you are to blame or claim it's "not big deal?"

7. Does this person tell you that your child is a nuisance?

8. Does this person get angry when you spend time with your child?

If the parent answered "yes" to even one of these questions, his or her child could be at risk.

The poster includes contact information for Richland County Children Services, including the agency's 24/7 child abuse hotline number at 419-774-4100 and Web site address at www.richlandcountychildrenservices.org.

It also has contact information for The Domestic Violence Shelter at 1-800-931-7233 and the shelter's Web site at www.thedvshelter.com.

For more information about "Choose Your Partner Carefully," including how you can arrange a presentation in your business, school, agency, etc., contact with RCCS or the Shelter.