Crestview mayor proclaims April Child Abuse Prevention Month as local advocates outline prevention work

Mayor Mary J. B. Whitney presented a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Crestview and invited representatives from the Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy Center for remarks and a photo. The proclamation was presented during the council meeting on April 13, 2026.

Sarah Brock, the center's marketing director, described the nonprofit's role in the region: "We see every reported case of child abuse in Okaloosa and Walton Counties," she said, and added that the center provides free treatments and prevention programming. Brock said the center educates roughly 17,000 students a year and told council members, "We have found that 90% of child abuse is preventable through education and intervention." Christopher Phillips, the center's community engagement manager, urged continued community support and emphasized that "social class does not play a role into those that can be impacted."

The proclamation and remarks were framed as an invitation for residents to report suspected abuse, with Brock reminding attendees that "everyone in this room is a mandatory reporter" under state rules and advising the public to call the national child-abuse hotline rather than trying to investigate on their own. The mayor and council members thanked the center for its local prevention work and agreed to publicize the month's activities.

The council proceeded with other agenda items after the presentation; no formal action was required to adopt the proclamation beyond the presentation on the record.