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Adams County proclaims April 2025 Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness months, highlights local services
Summary
The Adams County Board of County Commissioners on April 1 read proclamations marking April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month and heard presentations from CASA, Ralston House, Adams County Human Services and criminal justice partners on services and prevention efforts.
The Adams County Board of County Commissioners on April 1 proclaimed April 2025 as Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month and also proclaimed April 2025 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and invited local providers to describe prevention and victim services available in the county.
The proclamations, read and signed by the board during the meeting at the Adams County Government Center, were followed by presentations from local advocates and agency leaders about prevention work, victim services and how residents can report concerns.
Vicky Ricord, acting CEO and COO of CASA of Adams and Broomfield counties, thanked the board for its “unwavering support” and described CASA’s advocacy work for children who have experienced abuse and neglect. Ricord said CASA has expanded services to address chronic school absenteeism through a truancy program and a family engagement pilot launched last fall that works with families to reengage students and reduce the likelihood of court involvement.
Don Mosley, executive director of the Ralston House Child Advocacy Center, described the center’s role in interviewing children after an outcry, conducting medical exams and providing victim advocacy. Mosley said the proclamation “sends the message…that when they were kids and some adult chose to hurt them, that it wasn’t their fault.”
Katie McDougall, director of Adams County Human Services, gave county prevention statistics: “In Adams County, we receive approximately 325 calls weekly from our neighbors who have concern for children. In addition, our prevention team has made approximately 1,100 outreach contacts to prevent an adverse experience for children.” She urged residents to report suspected abuse and described the county prevention team that does outreach and referrals.
Speakers at the second proclamation emphasized the scale of sexual violence and the county’s multidisciplinary response. Amy McCarthy, coordinator of the Seventeenth Judicial District Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), stressed the underreporting of sexual violence and said SART uses a “victim-centered, offender-focused, multidisciplinary process.” Brighton Police Chief Matt Domenico and Seventeenth Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason thanked the board and community partners and described continued work to increase reporting and coordinate services. Mason highlighted the Family Justice Center project as a consolidated service site for victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault.
The board and presenters urged residents to use available resources, support nonprofit partners and believe and support survivors. The proclamations list a range of county partners and agencies, including the Adams County Health Department, Adams County Human Services, the Seventeenth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, CASA, Ralston House Child Advocacy Center, and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).
