Caldwell County proclaims April 2026 Child Abuse Prevention Month; DSS staff outline reporting and court procedures

The Caldwell County Board of Commissioners adopted a proclamation declaring April 2026 Child Abuse Prevention Month, which was read to the Department of Social Services board on Tuesday. Casey Pewitt, identified as the child welfare program manager, read the text noting the county received 260 reports and investigated matters involving 1,638 children in 2025 as cited in the proclamation.

Leah Church, who supervises intake, gave an overview of child welfare operations and stressed that every adult in North Carolina is a mandated reporter. "If you're concerned about it, please call and make a report and then we will see if it meets the legal definition of abuse, neglect, or dependency," she said, and provided the department intake numbers and after‑hours contacts.

Church explained the typical response process: reports are screened and, if they meet the statutory definition, assigned to an assessment worker; family or investigative assessments are completed in roughly 45 days; possible outcomes include closure, intensive in‑home services, or petitions leading to court‑ordered permanency planning or foster care. She clarified that nonsecure custody and other emergency custody steps require judicial authorization.

During the meeting staff also reported current caseload figures: in March the county’s intake unit handled 153 reports of alleged abuse, neglect or dependency, opened 93 CPS assessments and had 146 children in custody; one adoption was finalized in March. Staff emphasized that removals are made by the court: "When a child's removed from a home, that is done by a judge…DSS did not take your child," a board member said during the discussion.

Staff urged the public to report concerns and provided direct contact numbers for intake and after‑hours response. The board did not take additional formal action beyond hearing the presentation and the proclamation reading.