Protecting a child from abuse is one of the most important things adults can do.

That’s why Carbon County has proclaimed April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

On Thursday, the board of commissioners adopted a proclamation, which states that 4,593 reports of child abuse were substantiated in 2020.

“Every child deserves to be loved, cared for, nurtured, protected and be free from verbal, sexual, emotional and physical abuse and neglect,” says the proclamation.

The board said the Children and Youth Services department tries to help children in need here in Carbon County.

Jill Geissinger, director of the department, thanked the board for recognizing this important month.

“Carbon County Children and Youth is committed to reducing and preventing child abuse and neglect,” she said.

In 2021, the Carbon County Children and Youth Services workers received over 1,200 reports of general protective service reports and 347 reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. Of those, 44 cases were substantiated.

In addition, 74 children were placed in foster care or another setting after being removed, because a caregiver was having them in unsafe conditions or were at high risk for abuse or neglect, Geissinger said.

“Nothing is worse in my mind than having to remove a child from their parent or their caregiver,” she said, “or equally worse, having to counsel a child who was abused by a loved one. But this is the job that we do every day.”

Geissinger said the public can make a difference in children’s lives by surrounding them with a large support system, talking to your child and monitoring their communications online and reporting anything suspicious to the ChildLine hotline at 1-800-932-0313.

“Preventing child abuse is a team effort,” she said. “It takes all of us.”

To recognize the month, Children and Youth staff also hung blue ribbons in the Josiah White Park.