Tulare County marks April as Child Abuse Prevention Month; county, nonprofits highlight outreach

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors presented a proclamation recognizing April 2025 as Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month and heard a presentation from the Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) and county Health and Human Services Agency staff on prevention efforts.

Beth Wilshire, executive director of the Child Abuse Prevention Council, described CAPC’s recent outreach and training work and its focus on rural communities. “Our mission and vision is to end child abuse in Tulare County,” Wilshire said, adding that the council has prioritized community engagement and trainings such as the brain architecture exercise for early childhood development and mandated reporter training.

Francina Martinez, director of human services for the county’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), thanked CAPC and described a broader county effort to build a child, youth and family wellness system. Martinez noted a partnership with the San Diego Social Policy Institute and said system partners include an interagency executive advisory council and a prevention cabinet. “We brought them on as a contracted partner with Child Welfare Services and Behavioral Health,” Martinez said, describing efforts to coordinate prevention and wellness services across agencies.

Supervisors praised the CAPC’s recent March kickoff event at Soccer City, noting the indoor format allowed children to play freely and vendors to interact with families. Supervisor Larry McCarty read the proclamation and cited the board resolution text: “Whereas nearly 7,000 children in Tulare County are reported as abused or neglected every year,” and urged the community to work together to reduce abuse and neglect.

Board members emphasized the importance of reporting concerns and community involvement. Supervisor McCarrie reminded attendees that reduced reporting does not necessarily mean reduced incidence and urged residents to report suspicious activity so investigations can determine whether abuse has occurred.

CAPC reported recent engagement metrics: eight events in the prior six months that reached an estimated 2,300 families (478 parents, 907 children and 20 youth with disabilities), 268 professionals trained and 54 parents/guardians in trainings. CAPC also highlighted the LISA project outreach and involvement in human trafficking roundtables with law enforcement, probation and community partners.

The board presented the proclamation in the chambers and the CAPC board joined supervisors for the formal presentation. No formal vote was required for the presentation; supervisors recognized the work and encouraged continued interagency collaboration and community reporting.