By JC Medina
The Lacey City Council unanimously passed a proclamation declaring April 2025 as Child Abuse Prevention Month, emphasizing the community's collective responsibility to protect and support vulnerable children.
During the city council meeting on Tuesday, April 15, Mayor Andy Ryder led the proclamation reading, which outlined critical community obligations.
The proclamation stressed that "all children deserve to live in safe, stable and nurturing environments which promote their healthy growth and development."
It explicitly recognized child abuse and neglect as "serious public health problems affecting both the current and future quality of life in our community."
The proclamation further emphasized that addressing these issues requires a comprehensive approach, stating it is "the responsibility of our community to ensure parents, caregivers and other adults who influence the health and well-being of children have the support, knowledge and concrete resources necessary to ensure all children thrive to their greatest potential."
Shelly Willis, Executive Director of Family Education and Support Services, a nonprofit organization, provided context to the proclamation.
"This is our 25th year of service," Willis said. “We're so proud of our city leaders for taking this on and recognizing that we have vulnerable kids in our community."
Willis highlighted the urgent local context, revealing that "Thurston County is at a higher rate of child abuse than the rest of the state, and we know that there are actions we can take to reduce that significantly."
The proclamation highlighted the importance of collaborative prevention, noting "effective Child Abuse Prevention Strategies succeed because of partnerships among agencies, schools, religious organizations, law enforcement agencies, (health care) providers and the business community."
As a symbolic gesture, Willis distributed blue pinwheels, a national symbol of child abuse prevention, to council members while encouraging community engagement and awareness.
Ryder concluded the proclamation by calling "upon everyone to join together to increase public safety and prevent further abuse and neglect of our children."
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