Kites for Kids inspires fun while spreading child abuse prevention awareness

NORTH LIBERTY - Dozens of kites dotted the sky above, each a riot of color.

As part of the annual Kites for Kids event, the lawn at North Central Junior High School in North Liberty was full of families flying kites together Saturday afternoon on what turned out to be one of the first warm days in April.

'It's a perfect day for it,” said Dave Roberts, 70, a volunteer at the event.

Besides being a perfect day to fly a kite, LaTasha DeLoach, event coordinator. said it also served as a 'sneaky” way to raise awareness about child abuse prevention.

Organized by Johnson County Community Partnerships for Protecting Children, a local organization under Johnson County Social Services, all kinds of families attended this year's Kites for Kids.

'They're actually doing a child abuse prevention activity, because you're teaching your kids how to do something and you're hanging out with your kids,” DeLoach said. 'It's about nurturing relationships with your children, so they're doing that.”

DeLoach said she got the idea for flying kites based on the national symbol for child abuse prevention - pinwheels.

'You're kind of limited on what you can do with pinwheels,” she said. 'I just took the concept of wind, because that's what makes it active and I thought it would be nice symbolism for kids who have been impacted by child abuse.”

This is the fourth year of Kites for Kids, which has been held each year during Child Abuse Prevention Month in April.

Almost 70,000 children in the United States are abused annually, and an estimated 1,670 children died from abuse and neglect in 2015, according to the National Children's Alliance, a national advocacy organization.

In Iowa, 8,298 children were subject to abuse in 2015, according to the Iowa Department of Human Services. Of that, according to Johnson County Social Services, 120 children were in Johnson County.

'It comes in many forms,” DeLoach said. 'When we say abuse, it just sounds like you're hitting a kid, but it comes in different forms. Some of it is just people not having what they need to take care of kids, which technically under the law could be considered neglect.”

North Liberty resident Charles Greer, 47, brought his two children - Charles Greer Jr., 6, and Kayliah Greer, 7 - for the second year in a row Saturday.

While the family mostly came for the kite flying, Greer said he sees the event as a good vehicle to spread the message while enabling people to have fun.

'It allows everyone to let their hair down and enjoy the peace, especially with the wind blowing, the sun's out,” Greer said. 'This is the right vehicle, without hammering it to a person, so that everybody can fully absorb the reason why it's important.”

Organizers purchased about 700 kites for participants to use, as well as bubbles for those too young to fly kites.

DeLoach said people can participate in preventing child abuse by donating to a food pantry or clothing drives. Sometimes, it's as simple as helping out a neighbor, she said.

A similar event was held in Tiffin on Saturday, and another is scheduled to take place from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at Iowa City Park, 200 E. Park Road in Iowa City.

That event is free to the public.

'Our goal is eventually to be at every community in Johnson County. Next year we'll be at Solon, too,” DeLoach said.

More information can be found on Facebook at 'Kites for Kids Festival - Johnson County.”

For more information on Johnson County Community Partnerships for Protecting Children and Johnson County Social Services, visit johnson-county.com.

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