Polk County proclaims April 2026 Child Abuse Prevention Month; partners outline trainings and awareness events
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Summary
The Polk County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted Proclamation 2601 designating April 2026 as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Community partners including Liberty House and CASA Polk County described 28 trainings, a Fam Jam event and an April 29 courthouse walk to raise awareness and connect families to resources.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners on April 1 adopted Proclamation 2601, declaring April 2026 Child Abuse Prevention Month in Polk County and urging residents to engage in activities that strengthen families and prevent neglect and abuse.
Abby Warren, representing the partner organizations that brought the proclamation, thanked the board and highlighted the month’s local programming. "We have our big Fam Jam event," Warren said, describing it as an opportunity for families to connect with resources, learn about kindergarten enrollment and registration, and "have some fun together." She also invited the public to an awareness walk on the courthouse lawn at noon on April 29 and said printed flyers with a walk loop are available.
Max, a Liberty House representative, detailed the agency’s training schedule for April: "We have 28 trainings this entire month. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this month, we are going to be doing two trainings, one in English and one in Spanish," he said, noting Ruby Sala Plata will lead bilingual sessions. Max described workshops on phone and social-media safety (naming Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok), guidance on how to talk with children about online risks, reporting-concerns training, and a new emphasis this year on risks related to artificial intelligence. He told the board Liberty House served "a little over 200 youth" from Polk County last year.
Phoebe Simmel of CASA Polk County said her organization has been distributing Pinwheel Gardens and signs countywide to raise awareness for child abuse prevention and pointed people to the flyers that include the walk route.
The proclamation text, read aloud by the chair, cites research on the importance of stable, nurturing relationships for child brain development and states that preventing child abuse and neglect is a community responsibility. The board voted by voice to adopt Proclamation 2601; Chair announced the motion passed unanimously.
Procedural actions at the meeting included approval of the agenda as amended (the county postponed the FCO update to a later date), approval of minutes from March 25, 2026 (with one commissioner indicating an abstention), and approval of the consent calendar; the chair recorded those motions as passed by voice votes.
The meeting concluded with an announcement that the board would meet in executive session under ORS 192.660(2)(e) to conduct deliberations with persons designated to carry on negotiations.
