Child Abuse Prevention Month began Wednesday in Harrisburg with a visual display of blue flags.

For the ninth year, members of the PA Family Support Alliance planted blue flags to symbolize each child who was a victim of abuse in 2024.

Volunteers planted more than 4,700 flags from the banks of the Susquehanna River up State Street to the Capitol.

Most cases of abuse are committed by a parent or guardian, with contributing factors including life stresses, mental health issues, and substance abuse.

“I feel old because 30 years ago, the number was only half that. So, the number grows by decades. I look at that and say not one child should be on a flag in Pennsylvania because of abuse or neglect,” said Angela Liddle, president and CEO of PA Family Support Alliance.

Sixty black flags were also planted to remember those children who died from their abuse in 2024.

From WGAL, April 1, 2026