York County, York City proclaim April 2025 Child Abuse Prevention Month

The York County Commissioners and York City Mayor Michael Helfrich issued a joint proclamation declaring April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month and urged residents to support prevention efforts and services for children and families.

Commissioner Burford (vice president) read the proclamation into the record, saying the declaration recognizes child abuse and neglect as a complex problem and calls on adults and community organizations to help prevent maltreatment. "It is the responsibility of every adult who comes in contact with a child to prevent the child's inalienable right to a safe and nurturing childhood," the proclamation reads, as read aloud by Commissioner Burford.

Deb Harrison, president and CEO of the Children's Advocacy Council, thanked the commissioners and the mayor and described prevention and response partnerships that serve the county. Harrison said the council has offered a prevention training program through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency since 2018 and that the program has been deployed in schools across the county. "The most important message, I think, of Child Abuse Prevention Month is that as adults, we are responsible for the children in our community," Harrison said.

Harrison also described the county's multidisciplinary team that signs on to protocols for responding to child abuse cases, and she thanked partners from the district attorney's office, the Office of Children, Youth, and Families, WellSpan Health's forensic nursing team and local victim service providers. The proclamation was signed by the three county commissioners and Mayor Michael Helfrich of York City.

The proclamation does not create new enforceable requirements; it serves as a public recognition and call for continued partnership and volunteer and agency engagement in prevention and response work.