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Rowan County agencies outline child-death drivers, commissioners proclaim April Child Abuse Prevention Month
Summary
Local child-serving agencies presented the Rowan Community Child Protection Team 2024 annual report identifying safe sleep and substance use as leading contributors to child fatalities and abuse; the board adopted a proclamation declaring April Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Amy Brown, executive director of Smart Start Rowan and chair of the Rowan Community Child Protection Team, presented the CCPT’s 2024 annual report to the Rowan County Board of Commissioners on April 7, saying the report lists participating agencies, case reviews, identified needs and community recommendations. "Page 2 shows that Rowan County has a wide variety of team members from many child serving agencies across the community," Brown said.
Sean Edmond, representing the Terry Hess Child Advocacy Center, described the center’s services and new resources, saying Terry Hess served "over 235 children and their families here in Rowan County" in the past year and announced the opening of Robin’s Loft, a dedicated space to expand on-site mental-health and family-support services. "At Robins Loft, children who have experienced trauma can receive on-site evidence based therapy in a calm, welcoming environment," Edmond said.
Josh Sutz, deputy director of the Rowan County Department of Social Services, reviewed trends in child-protective-services reports. He said CPS reports declined slightly in 2024 but have trended upward since 2020, and that substance use continues to be a significant contributing factor to abuse and neglect. Sutz also reported Rowan County had notable results achieving timely permanence for children entering DSS custody in 2024, with many children placed with relatives or reunified.
From the CCPT’s child-fatality review of 21 cases in 2024, panel members identified unsafe infant sleep as a top cause of infant death and cited prenatal tobacco or vaping use as linked to prematurity and poor outcomes. Public-health speakers described local prevention work that includes safe-sleep education at pediatric visits and distribution of safe-sleep equipment, and state-level cessation resources such as the NCQUIT line.
Following the presentations, a commissioner moved to adopt a proclamation recognizing April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month in Rowan County. The board approved the proclamation by voice vote.
The report, presenters said, contains community recommendations for prevention and a request that the board adopt the proclamation and consider the listed recommendations for future action.
