Clinton County proclaims June 2026 as Child Welfare Professionals Appreciation Week

The Clinton County Board of Commissioners on June 4 adopted a proclamation declaring June 2026 as Child Welfare Professionals Appreciation Week, praising the county’s child welfare professionals for investigative work, family preservation efforts, foster and out-of-home care coordination, and trauma-informed services.

Michelle Harding read the proclamation to the board, noting the county’s commitment to protecting children and supporting professionals who investigate abuse, assess safety and provide services to families. The motion to adopt the proclamation was moved and seconded and carried.

Child welfare staff were invited to the front of the meeting to accept the proclamation. A staff member thanked the board for the recognition and emphasized the team’s dedication to supporting children and families, saying the agency often goes "above and beyond" to serve the community.

The proclamation names the range of duties performed by child welfare professionals, including counseling, behavioral health treatment, foster care and independent living skills support. Commissioners and staff used the occasion to acknowledge the difficulty of the work and to encourage continued community support for child welfare services.

The proclamation is ceremonial; no budgetary appropriation or policy change was recorded during the meeting.