Silent Witnesses

Although the 62 wooden children gathered on the Kingfisher County Courthouse lawn this month are smiling, they carry a serious message. They represent the 62 county children who were confirmed to be abused or neglected in 2019 by the county Department of Human Services child welfare division. The county’s first-ever “Wooden Children Project,” organized by the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, is intended call attention to April’s designation as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Each of the children was sponsored and dressed by a county business, church, organization or individual and each wears a badge identifying his or her sponsor. Money raised through the $25-per-child sponsorships will purchase training materials for CASA volunteers, Heather Jones, CASA volunteer coordinator for Kingfisher and Blaine counties, said. Last year would have been the county’s first year to display the children, which were created by the Kingfisher High School ag class and painted by the Kingfisher Middle School art class and STARS program. However, like many other 2020 events, the project was derailed by the pandemic. [Times-Free Press Staff Photo]