Klamath County proclaims April 2025 Child Abuse Prevention Month

The Klamath County Board of Commissioners on April 1 proclaimed April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Klamath County.

The proclamation notes the county’s commitment to supporting families and reducing child abuse and neglect through coordinated community action. Samantha Fenner, clinical manager at Klamath Lake Cares and coordinator for the Klamath County Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Team, told the board the proclamations by the county and the Klamath Falls City Council “are powerful testaments to our community’s unwavering commitment to this cause.”

Fenner urged continued community involvement and described planned activities to mark the month. “To kick off this vital month, we are hosting our ninth annual Day of Hope gathering tomorrow, April 2, at 12 p.m. at the Ross Ragland Theater,” she said, and thanked the board for the proclamation and for Commissioner Nichols’ participation as this year’s keynote speaker.

Fenner said the Day of Hope “shines as a beacon of hope for children who have endured abuse and neglect” and that the county’s agencies and nonprofits must continue collaborative work to build a safer environment for children. She listed local partners who joined her at the meeting, including District Attorney David Scutt, staff from the Oregon Department of Human Services, and Sky Lakes Medical Center’s Maternal and Child Health Director, Paul O’Kahn.

The proclamation, read at the meeting, framed April as a month to renew prevention efforts and community supports. No formal vote or fiscal action was recorded on the proclamation during the meeting.

The board did not adopt additional policy or funding at the meeting as part of the proclamation; Fenner and other attendees encouraged ongoing community participation and awareness activities throughout April.