April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. The Violence Prevention Center wants to help keep our children safe from abuse and neglect.
Reports of child abuse and neglect are dramatically down in Illinois which would normally be welcome news, but those numbers may be the unintended consequence of the stay-at-home order. According to DCFS, there were more than 6,000 calls to the state’s child abuse hotline the week of March 9, before schools were closed statewide. Within two weeks, hotline reports went down nearly 57%.
Communities that care about their children and families can work together to find solutions to tough problems. Our community cares. Get involved in preventing child abuse before it occurs. Remember, the more you help, the less the child hurts.
If families are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, there are resources to connect to even while social distancing.
Get support regarding your anxiety by speaking to a trained counselor at the Violence Prevention Center at 618-235-0892.
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) at https://namiillinois.org
Fussy Baby Network’s at 888-431-BABY (2229)
Contact your physician or your insurance carrier to ask health-related questions or to seek mental health support.
We also know that isolation can increase risk of intimate partner violence, which may involve or occur in the presence of children. If you are experiencing violence at home, Call our 24 hour crisis hotline at 618-235-0892 or the Illinois state domestic violence hotline can be reach at 877-863-6338.