LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, Lubbock County Commissioner’s Court, the Lubbock City Council, and the South Plains Coalition for Child Abuse Prevention are joining together to help bring awareness to child abuse and neglect with the 15th Annual Go Blue Lubbock County campaign.
Child abuse and neglect rates in Lubbock County region have remained higher than the state average for over a decade. In 2025, statistics from the Texas Department Of Family and Protective Services indicated the rate of occurrence of abuse in Lubbock Region outpaced other regions in the state including Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, and Houston.
That same year, Lubbock County recorded a rate of occurrence of 8.6 victims per 1,000 children compared to the state average of 6.56. Lubbock County recorded 2 deaths from child abuse and neglect in 2025. The Lubbock Region, which includes surrounding counties, has a rate of occurrence of 9.23. For the period of 2015-2025, over 10,000 Lubbock County children were confirmed by investigation as victims of abuse and neglect. In the same period, 24 Lubbock County children lost their lives due to abuse and neglect.
The campaign kicks off with a news conference and ribbon-cutting on Wednesday, April 1 at 9 a.m. at the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, 1500 Broadway, Suite 101. Other community-wide awareness activities, during the month of April, include the Annual Child Abuse Conference hosted by Covenant Children’s Hospital and the Coalition on Friday, April 24, 2026.
Copyright 2026 KCBD. All rights reserved.