Kern supervisors proclaim April as child-abuse-prevention, Donate Life and financial-literacy months; honor longtime animal-services employee

The Kern County Board of Supervisors on April 8 adopted proclamations designating April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month, Donate Life Awareness Month and Financial Literacy Month and approved a resolution honoring Animal Services dispatcher Tara Osborne on her retirement after 25 years with the county.

Supervisor Jeff Flores introduced the retirement resolution for Tara Osborne, and the board read and adopted the resolution during the morning session. Supervisor Flores said Osborne started with Animal Services in 1999 and, over her career, “provided daily care for over 23,000 animals” and “responded to 11,668 calls” as an animal control officer before serving as a dispatcher. Tara Osborne addressed the board and recounted starting through a Welfare-to-Work program and later working as an animal care worker, officer and dispatcher before retiring on March 21, 2025.

The board also approved a proclamation recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Supervisor Flores introduced the proclamation and asked Lito Murillo, Director of the Department of Human Services, to speak. Maria Bermudez, assistant director of the Child Welfare Services Bureau, invited Kern residents to participate in county activities, training and a podcast tied to the month and said the department will light the county building blue during April. “Prevention does not happen in a vacuum. It takes a village,” Bermudez told the board.

Separately, Supervisor David Couch presented a proclamation declaring April 2025 as Donate Life Awareness Month. Kathleen (Kathy) and Hugo Delgado of JJ’s Legacy and 1Legacy spoke about organ and tissue donation; Hugo Delgado, program manager for hospital partnership with 1Legacy, said the national waiting list recently exceeded 100,000 people and urged residents to register as donors through the DMV or donatelifecalifornia.org.

Supervisor Couch also introduced a proclamation naming April 2025 Financial Literacy Month. Emily Phillips, financial wellness manager at Valley Strong Credit Union, and representatives from other local credit unions described community financial-education activities and thanked the board for recognizing the effort.

The proclamations and the retirement resolution were approved during the board’s morning session. The board approved routine consent matters earlier in the meeting.

Votes at a glance: - Consent agenda motion: approved 3 ayes, 2 absent (Supervisors Parlier and Peters absent). Yes: Leticia Perez (Chair), Jeff Flores, David Couch. - Resolution honoring Tara Osborne (Item 1): adopted; text read by Supervisor Flores and the resolution noted as signed in the official minutes. Outcome: approved. (Recorded as adopted during the meeting.) - Proclamation — Child Abuse Prevention Month (Item 5): motion moved/seconded and approved 3 ayes, 2 absent. - Proclamation — Donate Life Awareness Month (Item 3): motion moved/seconded and approved 3 ayes, 2 absent. - Proclamation — Financial Literacy Month (Item 4): motion moved/seconded and approved 3 ayes, 2 absent.

Members of the board and county staff who spoke on these items included Supervisor Jeff Flores; Supervisor David Couch; Leticia Perez, chair of the board; Lito Murillo, DHS director; Maria Bermudez, assistant director, Child Welfare Services Bureau; Tara Osborne, retiring Animal Services dispatcher; Nick Collin, Director of Animal Services; Hugo Delgado, program manager, 1Legacy; and Emily Phillips, financial wellness manager, Valley Strong Credit Union.

The board adjourned the morning session and planned to return for a closed session in the afternoon.