Commissioners Notebook: April 2025
Published on April 17, 2025
For more than a decade, members of Cabarrus County’s Child Protection and Fatality Team (CPFT) have investigated child deaths in the county, discussed prevention methods and established solutions that lead to better protection for local children.
Team Chair Paula Yost, District Attorney Ashlie Shanley and others presented the 2024 State of Our Children Report to Commissioners at the April 7 Work Session. The report focuses on child deaths from the previous year and includes information on abuse cases, fatalities, online safety, mental health issues and more.
The CPFT is a state-mandated group of community representatives who meet regularly to address child abuse and neglect in the county.
Key highlights from the report include 3,516 investigations worked by the Cabarrus County Department of Social Services (DSS). DSS accepted 1,462 reports for abuse and neglect in 2024. Of those, 466 were labeled “investigative,” which involve various forms of abuse and human trafficking.
Yost also detailed child fatalities from 2023, which is the most recent data for those incidents. That year, there were a total of 27 child deaths.
Of those deaths, eight were due to unpreventable illnesses, nine resulted from premature births and 10 were labeled accidental (such as overdose, drowning and unsafe sleep).
Shanley, Cabarrus County’s District Attorney, shared details on internet safety, noting that CPFT has seen an increase in younger victims in child sexual abuse cases. In 2024, there were 89 victims under the age of six, 103 victims between seven and 12, and 68 between the ages of 13 and 18.
“As a veteran prosecutor, this is what’s scary to me,” Shanley said. “The ages of our victims are getting younger and younger."
According to Shanley, a victim is most likely to be abused by someone they meet online. Of 175 offenders assessed in 2024, 67 met their victim online. In comparison, 54 were parental offenders and 47 were other relatives.
“These crimes are 100% preventable because when we’re giving our kids a phone, we’re also giving an offender access to them,” Shanley told commissioners. “This is why I’m here. I need the community ... to step up and help. If we don’t watch what our kids are doing and viewing, someone out there will.”
Shanley added that offenders are using popular social media apps and games such as Snapchat, Fortnite, Instagram, Roblox, Monkey, Chatroulette, Tinder and Yellow.
Cabarrus County Schools Student and Family Support Director Amy Jewell presented numbers on suicide assessments facilitated by school mental health professionals. In 2024, there were 335 total assessments, 51 of which required acute medical care.
Following the presentation, Commissioners expressed gratitude to the team and offered to help any way they could.
If you know of a child actively being abused or observe domestic violence, call 911. If the possibility of abuse concerns you, even if you aren’t sure, contact Social Services at 704-920-1400.
You can report anonymously. If you provide your name and contact information, it will remain confidential. You may request a follow-up letter informing you of whether a case was opened or closed.
April is Child Abuse Awareness Month, which calls attention to the issue and honors those impacted by it.
On April 23, the CPFT is joining the District Attorney’s office and other community partners for a Pinwheel Ceremony from 1 to 1:30 p.m. at the Cabarrus County Courthouse Plaza (61 Union St. S, Concord).
The ceremony will feature remarks from representatives of local agencies and community leaders, followed by the planting of pinwheels. Pinwheels are a national symbol of child abuse prevention, and the event serves as a reminder of the community's commitment to ending abuse and promoting positive environments for children.
Also during the Work Session, the board:
- Heard from Emergency Management Director Jason Burnett on the North Carolina Tier II Grant. The funding allows the Local Emergency Planning Committee's (LEPC) to expand the scope of their hazardous materials emergency preparedness programs through response planning, training and related exercises. The grant will provide training opportunities for Cabarrus County’s LEPC, which currently meets quarterly. The grant award is $3,000 and does not require a match.
- Heard from Burnett on the Cabarrus-Stanly-Union Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan provides a comprehensive strategy to reduce risks, protect lives and property and improve community preparedness. It is also critical in enhancing the county's resilience to natural hazards such as floods, hurricanes, and severe storms. The key benefits include access to critical funding at federal and state levels, improved disaster preparedness leading to faster recovery, enhanced community protection through the identification of vulnerable areas and prioritization of mitigation efforts and compliance with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements for disaster-related financial assistance and support.
Commissioners are expected to vote on these items and more at the Regular Meeting.
To read the full agenda, visit cabarruscounty.us/Government/Boards-and-Committees/Board-Meetings, click the April 7 Work Session tab and select Agenda under ‘Related Information.’
Watch the full April Work Session at youtube.com/cabarruscounty.
Note that the Regular Meeting is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday (April 22) at the Cabarrus County Government Center in downtown Concord.
Residents can watch commissioner meetings on the Cabarrus County livestream, on YouTube (@CabarrusCounty) and on CabCo TV (Spectrum Cable Channel 22).
Stay updated on these and all County programs and projects by visiting cabarruscounty.us and following Cabarrus County at facebook.com/cabarruscounty and on Twitter and Instagram @CabarrusCounty.