On April 13, the Millcreek City Council adopted a proclamation to dedicate the month of April as Child Abuse Awareness Month.

Child Abuse Awareness Month is recognized across the country and exists to create conversations, spread awareness and teach people about the prevalence of child abuse around the world and how to stop it.

Child abuse impacts the lives of hundreds of thousands of children across the United States. Earlier this year, the Office of the Administration for Children and Families released a Child Maltreatment report to provide an overlook at the prevalence of child abuse across the United States. It found that in 2024, there were 7.2 victims of child abuse per 1,000 children, with children under 1 year old enduring the highest rate of victimization.

Mayor Cheri Jackson read the proclamation to formally recognize April as awareness month, which received applause from the other councilmembers and attendees. She added, "In Millcreek we are very protective of our children and want to do everything we can to ensure child safety and ensure the well-being of children and families."

In attendance was Deondra Brown, who cofounded The Foundation for Survivors of Sexual Abuse with her sister. The foundation aims to provide support to survivors and influence policy surrounding the statute of limitations for crimes of childhood sexual assault. The statute of limitations varies state by state, severely limiting the ability for victims to seek justice.

In 2014, the foundation helped to pass H.B. 286 in Utah, creating a statewide requirement for child sexual abuse prevention to be taught in schools, and it was Brown who suggested adopting the recent proclamation to Millcreek Councilmember Sylvia Catten.

After the proclamation was adopted, Brown spoke to the council and said, "April is an opportunity for us to plant some important seeds in our community, where children and families understand that not only is it OK to talk about difficult things like child sexual abuse, but that that's how we make progress."

Brown concluded her statement by saying, "So many people think that there's nothing they can do, it's all about taking responsibility and sharing that load as community members who are adults, making sure that the children know that we are a safe place, and we will do everything in our communities to protect them."

To learn more about Brown and the work she is doing at The Foundation for Survivors of Sexual Abuse, visit their website survivingabuse.org/.