Press Release
Commissioners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Government Entities Support National Child Abuse Awareness Month

Kittitas County, WA - 04/01/2025 - April is National Child Abuse Awareness Month, and throughout the month, several buildings in Kittitas County will feature blue lighting to call attention to the effort. Central Washington University, the City of Ellensburg, and Kittitas County will be participating in the campaign by lighting up their buildings with blue to highlight the importance of child abuse awareness.

“The City of Ellensburg is proud to join Central Washington University and Kittitas County in lighting buildings blue for National Child Abuse Awareness Month,” Ellensburg Mayor Rich Elliott said. “This initiative is a visual call to action, reminding us all to protect the most vulnerable and stand together in the fight to end child abuse." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “at least one in seven children experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year in the United States.  This is likely an underestimate because many cases go unreported.”
 
The CDC outlines several protective measures that can be taken to reduce or eliminate the risk of child abuse. The federal agency provides information on community-level protective factors regarding child abuse and neglect prevention.  Protective factors at the community level include safe, stable housing, access to high-quality preschool, access to nurturing and safe childcare, access to safe school programs and activities, access to medical and mental health services, access to economic and financial help, and work opportunities for adults that offer family-friendly policies.
 
The Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families provides a list of ten things you can do to prevent child abuse, including volunteering your time, educating yourself and others, knowing what child abuse is and understanding the signs, reporting abuse, and more.  To read more, visit Ten Things You Can Do to Prevent Child Abuse | Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
 
In Kittitas County, agencies like the Kittitas County Court Advocates for Children (CASA) are available to help children and families in the community who need support.  CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for children’s best interests.  They work with legal and child welfare professionals, educators, and service providers to help judges make the most well-informed decisions for each child.  For more information about CASA, visit https://casaprogram.org/.
 
For more information about child abuse and neglect prevention, visit About Child Abuse and Neglect | Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention | CDC.
 

• National Child Abuse Prevention Month 2025.pdf

Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us

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Contact: Brett Wachsmith, County Commissioner, 509-962-7508

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