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Alliance for Children outlines trauma-informed services as council proclaims April Child Abuse Prevention Month
Summary
The City of Bedford proclaimed April 2026 Child Abuse Prevention Month. Katie Gonzales of Alliance for Children explained the center’s forensic interview model, no-cost services for victims, and county statistics showing confirmed victims and services delivered in 2025.
The Bedford City Council proclaimed April 2026 as Child Abuse Prevention Month and heard a detailed presentation from Alliance for Children on the nonprofit’s role in investigations and family support.
Katie Gonzales of Alliance for Children told the council that the organization brings together law enforcement, child-protective services, prosecutors and health professionals to minimize retraumatization of children and streamline investigations. She explained that specially trained forensic interviewers conduct a single interview to reduce repeated questioning and that the center offers clinical and family-advocate services at no cost.
Gonzales cited local data included with the proclamation: in Tarrant County 9,592 children were confirmed victims of abuse in 2025, and Alliance for Children provided trauma-informed services to 2,281 children last year. She described additional supports—temporary financial help, redecorating rooms for children returning home, play therapy and longer-term counseling—designed to reduce the secondary harms families experience during investigations.
The mayor read the proclamation and thanked Alliance for Children for the partnership; the council offered public appreciation. Gonzales also noted that the county’s multidisciplinary case-review meetings keep agencies coordinated while preserving confidentiality.
The proclamation was ceremonial; the council did not take binding action beyond issuing the recognition.
