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Iredell County proclaims April Child Abuse Prevention Month as partners cite preventable local child fatalities
Summary
The board proclaimed April 2026 Child Abuse Prevention Month after remarks from Lisa Famularo of the Iredell County Partnership for Young Children, who described prevention work for ages 0–5 and cited local child fatalities and outreach efforts including blue lights and pinwheel gardens.
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners proclaimed April 2026 as Child Abuse Prevention Month following a presentation from Lisa Famularo, executive director of the Iredell County Partnership for Young Children.
Famularo described the Partnership’s work to support children in the first five years of life, saying the effort focuses on connecting families to resources that prepare children for kindergarten and strengthen caregivers. She said education, diapers and other direct supports are part of the Partnership’s work.
Presenters and commissioners also cited recent data on child fatalities. A speaker at the meeting said there were 48 children in North Carolina last year who died at the hands of parents or caregivers; local child fatalities reviewed by the county’s child-fatality prevention team were described as occurring at a higher-than-average frequency for the county and some being linked to unsafe sleep habits. Officials described outreach steps including lighting buildings blue for prevention month, installing pinwheel gardens and posting hotline information on billboards.
The board approved the proclamation by consent and encouraged residents to participate in prevention activities and to connect families to local supports. The proclamation text listed local partners including the Iredell County Department of Social Services, Guardian ad Litem office, Pharos Parenting, Children’s Hope Alliance and Dove House Children’s Advocacy Center.
No formal vote tally was recorded in the transcript; the proclamation was adopted by unanimous voice consent in the meeting.
