State House Staircase Adorned With Shoes To Promote Child Abuse Prevention

BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — It was an image meant to stress the dilemma of child abuse cases in Massachusetts.

85 pairs of children's shoes adorned the grand staircase of the State House Tuesday, a display to mark April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. The event, named Step Up for Children, is hosted annually by The Children's Trust to promote their goal of stopping child abuse in the state.

"The shoes represent the number of children on a daily basis that have substantiated child abuse cases, where the Department of Children and Families are looking further into what may have happened to a child," Children's Trust Executive Director Jennifer Valenzuela told WBZ NewsRadio. "We want to get that down to zero. We hope that our children don’t have to face abuse and neglect, and so our job is to help make that a reality."

The nonprofit offers a range of programs and training events to help parents create a nurturing and loving household for their children. Part of their efforts, Valenzuela told WBZ, includes helping families recognize issues that lead to abuse and neglect

"Substance abuse, mental health, poverty," Valenzuela said. "There’s a lot of things that can contribute to a parent maybe being at the end of their rope."

WBZ's Mike Macklin reports.

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