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The Winslow City Council declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month by way of Mayor’s Proclamation last week.
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“Child abuse can have long-term psychological, emotional and physical effects that have lasting consequences for victims of abuse,” the proclamation said.
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Melvina Jody of the Child Abuse Prevention Council accepted the Mayor’s proclamation. She said, “Throughout the month, I have been attending meetings and letting people know about child abuse prevention and adverse childhood experiences. I have also been working with the Winslow Indian Health Care facility to educate their staff on signs of abuse and providing resources. Next month, we will be providing a training for the Winslow Police Department on how to recognize neglect and abuse while on the job.”
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The proclamation also read, “Effective child abuse prevention activities succeed because of the partnerships created between child welfare, education, health, community and faith-based organizations, and law enforcement agencies.”
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Allison Heffner of the Navajo County Health Department addressed the council as well. “Our suicide rate is three times the national average and our substance abuse rates are off the charts in Navajo County. Instead of being reactive, we would like to be proactive.
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The county uses a point system assessment that allows it to identify which children in the communities and which adults in the communities have experienced a quality of life that has been less than good. “These experiences have created the issues we are seeing in our county economically and workforce wise. We are reaching out to community leaders, school leaders, elected officials, non-profit organizations, those that provide housing support or food security support and anyone who supports parents who are having a hard time.
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“We want to develop a community that is family centered and focused on giving each child in our county the support and experiences that lead to good quality of life,” said Hephner.
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A meeting is scheduled on May 20 at the Navajo County Governmental Complex in Holbrook to address childhood trauma. “We are going to have a speaker that will provide a solution and the framework for our communities to address adverse child experiences and to build that quality of life that all children deserve to have,” stated Hephner.
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Community leaders in the field of child abuse prevention or education wanting more information on the meeting Heffner referenced, contact the Navajo County Health Department at (928) 524-4750.
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Winslow City Manager, John Barkley updated the City Council on ongoing projects during his status reports. “Our fiscal year 2020 budget work session is coming up at 3:30 p.m. on May 7 at the Hubbell building. This will allow the council to provide their input on the budget before presenting it in its entirety in June,” said Barkley.
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Barkley also noted that a city hall open house will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 8, for the public to attend to receive budget information. There will also be a series of town hall meetings regarding the proposed jail district. The first will be at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4, at the Hubbell building, located at 523 W. Second St. It will be hosted by the city, but county officials will be there as well.
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In other business, the council:
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* Approve the quarterly report for January through March from the Winslow Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center. Chief Executive Officer Bob Hall presented the report and explained that the Visitor’s Center saw 1,456 visitors during the time period.
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* Heard a presentation from the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). Director Michelle Lytle informed the council that the program provides volunteer opportunities for citizens over 55 years of age. In Winslow, there are 51 volunteers associated with the group.
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* Proclaimed April 22-27 as Earth Week in Winslow.
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