Orange County proclaims April Child Abuse Prevention Month; SSA reports nearly 55,000 hotline calls in one year

The Orange County Board of Supervisors on April 9 declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and invited county Social Services Agency officials to outline prevention efforts and reporting resources. Chairman Wagner introduced the proclamation and invited Jothi Atlery, director of children and family services at the Social Services Agency, to speak.

Atlery told the board that between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, county hotlines received nearly 55,000 calls about child abuse or neglect and that the agency responded to almost 11,000 reports from mandated reporters and members of the public. She said the county currently operates 16 family resource centers that provide education, outreach and intervention services to families in crisis.

Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento highlighted both county and national statistics and local partners during his remarks, saying that in District 2 there were 633 youth in foster-care placements and 623 child-abuse and neglect referrals, and he said 82 percent of those referrals involved Latino families. Sarmiento praised community organizations including Downtown Family Resource Center and Latino Health Access for their prevention and outreach work.

Dr. Atlery and supervisors emphasized that early recognition and reporting are critical, and they noted the county hotline for Orange County Child Protective Services (as stated aloud during the meeting) at (714) 940-1000. The board encouraged residents to report suspected abuse and to connect families in crisis to local supports.

The board concluded the presentation by thanking Social Services Agency staff and community partners and urging continued public engagement to prevent abuse and support children and families.