Carbon County proclaims June 9–13 as Child Welfare Professionals Appreciation Week

The Carbon County Board of Commissioners adopted a proclamation on June 5, 2025, recognizing June 9–13, 2025, as Carbon County Child Welfare Professionals Appreciation Week to honor staff who investigate child abuse and provide services to families.

The proclamation, read aloud during the commissioners’ meeting, said local child-welfare professionals handle investigations, provide family services and assess child safety “sometimes at great risk to their own personal safety.” It credited Carbon County Children and Youth Services with helping keep children safe and called attention to the emotional and physical hazards workers face.

Jill, director of Carbon County Children and Youth Services, spoke to the meeting remotely, thanking the commissioners and describing the agency’s 13 caseworkers. “I really appreciate every day they show up with a smile on their face. They go out, and they help children and families and put their best effort forward,” Jill said. She said workers range in tenure from four months to 20 years and that they sometimes enter dangerous situations.

Commissioners and other speakers thanked the staff and noted the difficulty of the work. One commissioner said the job is “probably the worst job in Carbon County, but it's the most rewarding,” and another, speaking from experience as a first responder, described entering homes with unsafe conditions and drug threats while thanking the caseworkers for their service.

The board voted to adopt the proclamation during the meeting. The proclamation text notes past instances where children’s injuries or deaths were averted due to the county agency’s work and calls for recognition of the staff’s efforts in protecting children.

The proclamation was presented to agency representatives in the meeting; agency staff said they would share the recognition with their teams.

The adoption was procedural and did not include any new budgetary or policy directives for the county.