In 2011, Stark County Job & Family Services decided to promote “Wear Blue to Work” (WB2W) day instead of holding a pinwheel planting ceremony for Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. Local businesses and partners were enlisted to encourage employees to wear blue to work on one day in April, take group photos, and publish them to the agency’s (and the company’s) Facebook page. In conjunction with the one-day event, the agency opted to use the image of a blue pinwheel instead of a blue ribbon to represent child abuse prevention.
In 2012, Public Children Services Association of Ohio and its committee of public information officers across the state adopted “Wear Blue to Work” as a statewide campaign focused on grassroots outreach to community businesses and other partners. The campaign was a huge social media success, improving the number of “likes” on agency Facebook pages, encouraging “water-cooler conversations,” and giving supporters of child abuse prevention a symbolic action behind which to rally. The campaign was successful at the state level, too, as Governor John Kasich, legislators, and other officials participated by wearing blue and having their photo posted.
In 2013, the committee rebranded the campaign as “Wear Blue. Child Abuse Is Preventable” and designated the second Wednesday of every April (April 13, 2016) for the “Wear Blue” observance going forward. In dropping “to work,” we recognize that individuals can participate in raising awareness by wearing blue anywhere – to work, to school, to a community event or meeting, and even at home.
In March of 2016, the Fulton County Commissioners signed a proclamation making April Child Abuse Prevention Month. In honor of this, you are asked to wear blue on April 13th to support child abuse prevention.