On April 25, 2019, Multnomah County declared April 2019 as “Child Abuse Prevention Month” in Multnomah County.
Multnomah County Chief Deputy District Attorney John Casalino along with Kevin Dowling, the Executive Director of CARES Northwest, read the proclamation before the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on April 25, 2019 as part of National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Every April, communities all over the nation observe National Child Abuse Prevention Month, raising awareness where we live and work – in schools and businesses, place of worship, local media, and more — of child abuse and neglect while promoting much needed and valuable resources to support intervention, treatment and affected families.
Multnomah County Chief Deputy District Attorney John Casalino speaking April 25, 2019. (MCDA photo)
Oregon law requires that every county utilize a multidisciplinary approach to child abuse intervention. In 1989, the law specified that every county create a multidisciplinary team (MDT) that is coordinated by each county’s District Attorney. The legislature recognized then, as it does still today, that identifying and responding to child abuse is complicated and thus requires complex collaboration and consistent team work to address child abuse situations adequately.
CDDA Casalino and others recognized Multnomah County’s leadership for more than 30 years in promoting the safety of one of the county’s most vulnerable populations—our children.
“We believe by providing a collaborative, coordinated, trauma informed response to child abuse, we can have a positive impact on the health and safety of the more than 150,000 children living in Multnomah County today, and on the well-being of the adults those children will become,” said CCDA Casalino.
According to data provided by the State of Oregon from 2017, there were more than 80,000 reports of child abuse and neglect. Of those, 45% were children under the age of six years old.
“Child abuse and neglect has consequence that cause lifelong health problems,” CDDA Casalino said. “For some children, their worst day happens every day – over and over again.”
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office encourages anyone who suspects a child is being abused or neglected to call law enforcement immediately.
“We want you to reach out and lend a hand to a child,” CDDA Casalino said.
Contact: Brent Weisberg, Communications Director
Phone: 503.988.6567
Email: Brent.Weisberg@nullmcda.us