Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Child Welfare topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County proclaims April 2026 Child Abuse Awareness Month after coalition presentation
Summary
The court proclaimed April 2026 Child Abuse Awareness Month in partnership with the South Plains Coalition for Child Abuse Prevention after hearing that roughly 10,000 Lubbock County children were confirmed victims of abuse or neglect in the last decade and 24 fatalities were reported.
The Lubbock County Commissioners Court on March 23 recognized April 2026 as Child Abuse Awareness Month and voiced support for the South Plains Coalition for Child Abuse Prevention's Go Blue Lubbock campaign.
Carla Olson, representing the South Plains Coalition, told the court the coalition's outreach marks a fifteenth year of public awareness efforts and reviewed local statistics: "In the last 10 years, 10,000 Lubbock County children have been confirmed by investigation as victims of child abuse and neglect," Olson said, and she reported 24 fatalities attributed to abuse and neglect during that period.
Olson said the youngest children (ages 1 to 3) constitute a large share of victims and identified domestic violence, substance abuse and neglectful supervision as frequent contributing factors. The court read a proclamation acknowledging the coalition's work, encouraging residents to wear blue in April to raise awareness, and approved the special recognition by motion and second.
Why it matters: The proclamation formally recognizes ongoing child welfare concerns in Lubbock County and supports local coalition efforts to increase education, encourage reporting and coordinate services.
Next steps: The county will support coalition events and the coalition indicated it will return in May for school campus proclamations tied to Texas Healthy Recognized School designations.
