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Lawrence County proclaims April 2025 Child Abuse Prevention Month; honors poster-contest winners
Summary
At its April meeting the Lawrence County Board of Commissioners proclaimed April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month and presented certificates to elementary students who won the countywide poster contest tied to the state "Ensure They Shine" campaign.
The Lawrence County Board of Commissioners on April 22 proclaimed April 2025 as Lawrence County Child Abuse Prevention Month and recognized countywide winners of a fourth annual elementary school poster contest.
Commissioner Deanna Holliday said the proclamation and the contest are recurring public-awareness efforts. “This is always one of our favorite meetings of the year,” Holliday said as she introduced the proclamation and the students who won certificates.
The board recited figures included in the proclamation which stated that in 2024 there were 14,764 confirmed reports of child abuse or neglect recorded in Ohio and that, as the proclamation put it, "on average, there were more than 40 confirmed reports of child abuse or neglect in Ohio a day." The proclamation also cited county counts for 2024 as stated at the meeting: 39 reports in Lawrence County, 42 substantiated cases and 546 unsubstantiated cases.
Missy Evans, director of the Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS), said the poster contest is part of the Lawrence County Whole Child Initiative and follows the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund theme “Ensure They Shine.” “This is our fourth annual poster contest for our elementary school students countywide,” Evans said. She told commissioners the program selected one winner per grade and that prizes and certificates were being distributed.
Commissioners named and presented recognition to students mentioned at the meeting: Kennedy Rice (kindergarten, not present), Jasmine Piker (first grade), Georgia Mitchell (second grade, not present), Zane Alaroni (third grade, Fairland West), West Taylor Thomas (fourth grade), Kimberly (Fairland West, grade not specified), and Linley Edwards (fifth grade, South Point Elementary). The county said prizes would be delivered to winners who were not present.
The board approved the proclamation and separately moved to recognize the poster-contest winners by unanimous vote.
