Commissioners proclaim April Child Abuse Prevention Month; agency reports 36 investigations and 51 children in custody

The Hocking County Board of Commissioners proclaimed April 2025 Child Abuse Prevention Month and heard local child welfare statistics from a county agency representative.

The proclamation was presented during the April 17 meeting and asks residents and partner agencies to support families and child maltreatment prevention.

A county child welfare representative identified in the meeting as Jody said the agency investigated 36 cases in a recent period and that Hocking County currently has 51 children in custody, with roughly half in permanent custody arrangements.

"We currently have about 51 kids in custody," Jody said. "We generally stay in the forties, so it's been higher recently."

Jody credited local agencies, law enforcement, hospitals, mental health providers, schools and community partners for supporting child safety and said the county would mark the month with pinwheels in the park representing the number of investigations.

Commissioner David Walker (name in meeting record as reader of the proclamation) read the proclamation's text during general business and the board signed it. A motion to sign the proclamation passed with commissioners responding "Aye."

Why it matters: The proclamation recognizes local child welfare needs and publicizes county-level child protection activity; the staffing and custody numbers provide a snapshot of current child welfare caseload that local partners say requires community support and continued interagency coordination.

Clarifying details provided during the meeting: the presenter said the county typically has 40 to 50 children in custody, that in Ohio child custody can extend to age 21 for individuals with developmental disabilities, and that pinwheels displayed in the park will remain through the end of the month to raise awareness.

No formal policy or funding action accompanied the proclamation; commissioners signed and filed the document.