Tifton and Tift County officials joined forces to shine a light on a troubling reality in the community — hundreds of local children suffering from abuse and neglect.
🔍 What We Know: The City of Tifton and Tift County Board of Commissioners issued a joint proclamation in March designating April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. Last Friday, Tifton Mayor Julie Smith addressed attendees at the “A Voice for All Children” Pinwheel Ceremony organized by the Tift County Council on Child Abuse.
The ceremony featured 582 pinwheels – each representing a child reported as abused or neglected in Tift County.
🗣️ In Their Words: “We have to surround these children with a community that cares about them, and we have to show them that they can heal – and we have to be part of that healing,” Smith told ceremony attendees.
She specifically thanked those working to help abused children, saying, “You make the community a better place, and you make the lives of those children better because of what you do.”
❤️ Why It Matters: Each pinwheel represents a real child in the Tifton community who has experienced trauma. By publicly acknowledging these cases, local leaders hope to increase awareness and prevention efforts while supporting victims.
🔢 By The Numbers: In Tift County, an alarming 6.4% of children under 18 have been reported as victims of abuse or neglect. This represents 582 cases among the county’s 10,120 youth residents. When viewed against the total population of 41,554, these cases affect approximately 1.4% of all county residents. With children comprising 24.5% of Tift County’s population, these statistics reflect a significant child welfare concern requiring community attention and intervention.
These numbers are much higher than the state average. In Georgia, 4.82% of the child population is abused.
Why Are Tift County’s Numbers so High?: While it is not possible to determine exact reasons for high percentages of child abuse, poverty and lack of education are usually factors. Tift County has a poverty rate of just over 20%, compared to a national average of 13.5%.
In terms of education, only 21% of Tift County residents have graduated college, compared to 34% statewide. Tift County also lags behind the state in high school graduates, with 87% graduating high school, compared to the state average of 89%.
🤝 Take Action: Community members concerned about child abuse can volunteer with local prevention organizations, report suspected abuse to authorities, or support programs that provide services to affected children and families. Residents and voters should also make sure to prioritize education as it can solve the problems of child abuse and poverty.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
