MOLINE, ILLINOIS (April 12, 2023) — EveryChild, the nonprofit formerly known as the Child Abuse Council, is proud to announce this year’s recipients of the Champions for Every Child Award. This year, two awards will be given — one to an individual and one to organization to celebrate the community leaders who dedicate their time and talents to ensuring a safe, healthy childhood for all.
“We received a lot of wonderful, deserving nominations from the community. Our hope is to shine a light on the people and organizations who work every day to help future generations thrive,” said Mark Mathews, EveryChild’s Executive Director. “Childhood well-being is a community issue, and it’s our honor to lift up the positive work being done to support area youth with the Champions for Every Child recognition.”
After careful consideration of many qualified and deserving nominees who represent the mission, vision, and values of EveryChild, the selection panel selected the following community members as this year’s recipients of the Champions for Every Child Awards:
Community Business or Organization: Rock Island County Guardian ad Litem
The Guardian ad Litem serves children that have been removed from their home, due to abuse or neglect, and advocates for the best interest of all of the children they represent in the juvenile justice system. The Guardian ad Litem helps foster families and children better understand their rights and feel comfortable within the court system because she knows that we cannot do better unless we know better. The current Rock Island County Guardian ad Litem is Karri Belvel.
Individual: Dianna Saelens, Regional Council Manager — Birth to 5 Region 28
Over the course of her career, Dianna has worked in many areas of early childhood education to help educate and inspire not only the children in her classrooms, but the parents and staff she works with. Dianna’s focus is always on building community to ensure children have what they need to succeed not only in preschool, but in the years beyond.
Recipients of this year’s Champions for Every Child recognition will be honored at the organization’s Celebrate Every Child gala on Thursday, April 27, at the Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf.
About EveryChild
EveryChild, formerly known as the Child Abuse Council, is a bi-state, regional non-profit agency that provides child-abuse prevention, education, and treatment programs for children and families. For more than forty years, EveryChild has led community efforts to connect children and families with services that will help them to thrive, giving them the foundation for a safe, healthy childhood. Spanning universal, secondary-, and tertiary-prevention paradigms, EveryChild’s programs include 24/7 Dad, Basic Training for New Dads, All Our Kids (AOK) Network, Family Connections, Community Doula Services, Healthy Families, Second Step, Community Education and Training, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Safe From the Start, and the Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center.
