Klamath Falls proclaims April 2025 Child Abuse Prevention Month; community partner highlights foster-care decrease

Mayor Carol Westfall on Monday read a proclamation declaring April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month for the city of Klamath Falls and recognized local prevention partners.

During the proclamation, Mayor Westfall said the city is "dedicated to strengthening families in our community" and declared April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

A community representative who addressed the council during the proclamation noted progress in local foster-care statistics and partnership work: she said that in February 2017 the local foster-care population was about 350 children and that, through local prevention efforts, the number has dropped to about 140 children. She also said local efforts are being shared with state and federal partners and that the community is working with the Doris Duke Foundation to develop policy approaches to keep families out of the child-welfare system. "We didn't do that alone at the Department of Human Services," the speaker said, adding, "we did that as a community."

The proclamation thanked local partners and urged continued community support for family-prevention programs. No formal council action beyond the proclamation reading was recorded during the agenda item.