Nominations are now being accepted for the 2018 Champion for Children Award, which will recognize a member of the community that has gone above and beyond to make a positive impact on children’s lives.

The Great Start Collaborative and LACASA Center’s Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Council are partnering to choose a champion for children, who will be announced at the annual Plant a Pinwheel Celebration on April 3rd, which kicks-off National Child Abuse Prevention Month. CAP Council Coordinator Holly Naylor says they are looking for nominees that mentor, support or advocate for local kids in a significant way. Naylor says Great Start and the CAP Council will choose a person or persons that exemplify the makings of a Champion for Children without expectation of recognition.

Naylor tells WHMI April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Champion award is a reminder of the many individuals in the community that protect and serve children. Last year’s winner was Gus Ventrone, a Vietnam veteran who works at Navigator Upper Elementary School in Pinckney, whose nomination letter included words of appreciation and support from five teachers and 65 students. The deadline to nominate an individual for the Champion for Children Award is March 18th.

If you know a Champion for Children, you can submit a nomination form to the CAP Council at hnaylor@lacasacenter.org or call (517) 548-1350 for more information. (JK)