Proclamation - Child Abuse Prevention Month

Child Abuse Prevention Month - April 2024  
Proclamation 
 
Nationally, in 2021, 3.9 million reports were made to child protective services. 
Unfortunately, many cases of child abuse do not get reported, and many others are not discovered 
until after it’s too late for those children. 
Our children are our community’s most vulnerable members as well as our most valuable 
resources, helping to shape the future of El Mirage. 
It is known that positive childhood experiences—like loving caregivers and safe, stable, and 
nurturing relationships—can help mitigate trauma and the negative impact of adverse childhood 
experiences, referred to as ACES, to promote the social, emotional, and developmental well-being 
of all our children. 
Childhood trauma can have long-term psychological, emotional, and physical effects 
throughout an individual’s lifetime and impact future generations. It can leave deep, lasting scars, 
making it harder to learn in school, to form trusting relationships, to build self-esteem, and to 
escape cycles of abuse long-term. Childhood trauma, including abuse and neglect, is a serious 
problem affecting every community, and finding solutions requires input and action from 
everyone. 
Children who live in families with access to concrete economic and social supports are less 
likely to experience abuse and neglect. The nurturing of all children and the prevention of child 
maltreatment is possible through partnerships created between families, prevention advocates, 
child welfare professionals, education, health, community, and faith-based organizations, 
businesses, law enforcement agencies, and local, state, and national governments. 
WHEREAS, we acknowledge that in order to solve the public health issue of child abuse 
and neglect we must work together as a community to increase awareness about child abuse and 
continue to promote the social and emotional well‐being of children and families in a safe, stable, 
and nurturing environment; and 
WHEREAS, our community must make every effort to promote programs and activities 
that create strong and thriving children and families; and 
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mayor Alexis Hermosillo, do hereby proclaim April as CHILD 
ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH in the City of El Mirage and urge all citizens to recognize this 
month by dedicating ourselves to the task of improving the quality of life for all children and 
families. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
______________________________ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alexis A. Hermosillo, Mayor