Allegany County officials mark Child Abuse Prevention Month and outline prevention efforts

Allegany County Commissioner of Social Services Don Horan and deputies on Wednesday briefed the Board of Legislators on county efforts to prevent child abuse and promote family supports and the board issued a proclamation designating April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month in Allegany County.

The presentations to the board outlined a shift from reactive child-welfare responses toward community-based prevention, early intervention and family-support services designed to reduce removals and long-term consequences for children, officials said.

Commissioner Don Horan and Deputy Commissioner Jennifer (Jen) (last name given in packet) described steps Allegany County Department of Social Services (DSS) has taken: roll-out of mandated-reporter training emphasizing family support, expansion of community prevention programs and partnerships with local agencies to develop a “Better for Families” model family drug court. Horan said the county is also training two caseworkers in a family-skills program called Guiding Good Choices to reduce teen substance use and risky behavior.

County officials gave specific local metrics to show change: DSS reported 30 children in foster care in January 2022 and 16 children in care as of March 2025; neglect petitions filed in family court have declined; congregate-care placements have fallen, and the county currently has two youths in residential programs. County leaders attributed the reductions to increased preventive supports and the onboarding of evidence-based practices by contract agencies.

Kayla Johnson of the Southern Tier Child Advocacy Center described services for survivors and families, saying the center assisted more than 260 families last year and has connected with about 50 families so far this year. Johnson said the center has developed a medical program involving a pediatric examiner and nurse examiners and emphasized that medical examinations can be therapeutic and provide vital education for families.

Officials also reviewed planned public awareness activities: the Allegany County Courthouse will be lit blue and a pinwheel garden planted; the center and partners will run a 30-day family-connection calendar on social media, regular “wear blue” Fridays, a youth coloring contest, an online overview of commercial sexual exploitation on April 29 at 10 a.m., and an annual Child Safety Day on May 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Robert H. Jackson (Robert Livingston in packet) Center in Allegany (as announced).

The board read a formal proclamation recognizing April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month in Allegany County and applauded DSS and partner agencies for year-round work to support children and families. No formal legislative action beyond the proclamation was taken during the presentation.

County and center leaders urged reporting suspected abuse to New York State’s central registry/hotline (hotline number provided in packet) and stressed collaboration with local partners including mental‑health and substance‑use treatment providers.

The board called forward representatives from partner agencies for recognition and asked the public to note the calendar of events posted by DSS and the Child Advocacy Center.