April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press

Highland County Commissioners Jeff Duncan, Shane Wilkin and Tom Horst signed a proclamation at their Wednesday, March 30 board meeting designating April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

This is a time to increase community awareness for child abuse prevention while highlighting the successes of families, children and community professionals.

Highland County Job and Family Services acting director Katie Adams told the commissioners that the county had 306 investigations of child abuse or neglect in 2015. "There were 160 substantiated cases of abuse or neglect last year," Adams said.

Currently, there are 120 children in custody – 85 in paid care and 35 in kinship care – Adams told the board.

Adams also discussed this year's campaign for Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month in April.

The Ohio Children's Trust Fund (OCTF) also is sponsoring a statewide campaign to raise awareness of child abuse and neglect prevention and urge all Ohioans to take an active role in making their communities a better place for families and children.

The OCTF is kicking off the month with a #PinwheelSelfie Campaign. To be a part of it, upload your #PinwheelSelfie photos on Facebook (Ohio Children's Trust Fund), Instagram (@OhioCTF) and Twitter (@OhioCTF) or email Ohio_Children's_Trust_Fund@jfs.ohio.gov.

In addition to Adams, also present for the proclamation were: Ronda McAdams, Wendy Setty, Stephanie Beeler, Jodi Kidder, Mary Legg, Jamie Miller, Tonia Farley, Rebecca Souther, Stephanie Newman and Mandy Mitchell Cox.

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• Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner also met with commissioners on March 30 for a resolution that will allow the health department to provide flu shots for county employees in the fall.

"We'll get with (commission clerk) Rhonda Smalley and set up a schedule," Warner said. "We'll coordinate whatever works best for you."

Warner also updated commissioners on the $297,000 grant for private-property septic upgrades based on total household income. Warner said anyone interested in applying for funds should call the health department at 393-1941.

Warner also provided a brief update on the Zika virus. Zika is a disease caused by the Zika virus that is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito, though rare cases of sexual transmission have been reported.

According to the health department, only one out of every five people who catch the Zika virus will have any symptoms. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika.

"We're getting into mosquito season and people returning from spring break," Warner said. "I think we may see some Zika cases pop up."

According to the health department website, there also are concerns about people traveling to and returning from areas with Zika activity. "Many people in our community have recently returned mission trips in Haiti and other areas in Central and South America," Warner said. "There are many of our residents who are planning or returning from vacation in the Caribbean and other tropical locations."

Highland County has no identified cases of Zika. For more information on Zika, visit http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html.

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• Commissioners met with Larry Frimerman of the Cardinal Land Conservancy of Cincinnati to discuss the farmland preservation program.

The Cardinal Land Conservancy is a nonprofit that serves the southwest Ohio counties of Hamilton, Clermont, Warren, Clinton, Highland, Brown and Adams counties. Previously, Highland, Clermont, Brown and Adams counties were part of the Southern Ohio Farmland Preservation Association.

Resolutions

Commissioners voted 3-0 for a resolution for the sidewalk project along Hobart/Carl Smith Drive in Hillsboro.

Commissioners voted 3-0 for a resolution to authorize the Highland County Sheriff's Office to apply for and, if awarded, enter into an agreement to administer a DARE grant through the Ohio Attorney General's Office for the school year 2016-17.

Meeting time changes

The board's April 6 meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m., and the April 13 meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m.