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Norton adopts MOUs with children’s advocacy center and proclaims child-abuse prevention, foster-care awareness and autism acceptance months
Summary
Council adopted annual Memoranda of Understanding with the Southwest Virginia Children’s Advocacy Center and proclaimed April Child Abuse Prevention Month, May Foster Care Awareness Month and April Autism Acceptance/Awareness Month; NDSS Director Abe Rutherford announced a walk‑a‑thon April 24 and reported recent case counts.
Norton City Council on April 7 adopted Memoranda of Understanding between the Norton Police Department and the Norton Department of Social Services (NDSS) and the Southwest Virginia Children's Advocacy Center of Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc. (CAC MEOC). Council also adopted resolutions recognizing April 2026 as Child Abuse Prevention Month, May 2026 as Foster Care Awareness Month, and April 2026 as Autism Acceptance/Awareness Month.
City Manager Jeffery A. Shupe said the MOUs formalize existing cooperative services and had been reviewed by the city attorney. NDSS Director Abe Rutherford told council that in 2024 there were roughly 74 or 75 family assessments and investigations related to child abuse and neglect in Norton, and in 2025 there were 70 cases; he said the department aims to reduce those numbers and encouraged community reporting. Rutherford described planned awareness activities including displaying pinwheels at entrance walls and a walk‑a‑thon on April 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Norton Expo Center with vendors and refreshments, and he invited council participation.
Why it matters: the MOUs document local procedures for working with the advocacy center when child abuse or neglect is suspected and the proclamations highlight prevention and awareness campaigns that rely on community reporting and agency coordination. Rutherford said, “we never know about anything that happens until somebody reports it, but somebody has to take a stand to protect our most vulnerable citizens as small as they are.”
Council also adopted a resolution to update signature and access requirements for city accounts to authorize Kimberly West as deputy treasurer and confirmed several transfers and payments. The appointments of two representatives to the Appalachian Community Action and Development Agency (reappointment of Stacy Salyers and Jeffery A. Shupe) and staff appointments to 2026 Virginia Municipal League policy committees were recorded later in the meeting.
Next steps: the NDSS-hosted walk‑a‑thon is planned for April 24; city staff will execute the MOUs as adopted and the treasurer’s office will implement the updated signature authorities.
