Illinois child fatalities reach 5-year peak. Here's how you can help

Apr. 18—April is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and Illinois child fatalities and maltreatment cases were higher in 2019, the most recent year for which data are available, than in any year from 2015 to 2018.

Child abuse has already been on many people's minds in Illinois, as the state's Department of Children and Family Services has drawn criticism lately for a number of events.

DCFS Director Marc Smith received his fifth and sixth contempt citations this spring, this time for housing two children in locked psychiatric facilities unnecessarily.

The recent deaths of children who had contact with DCFS, including the death of 8-year-old Navin Jones, have also drawn attention to the state's agency. A DCFS employee was also killed recently when she responded to a call about possible child endangerment.

These DCFS stories have inspired former DCFS employees and politicians alike to advocate for investigations into and change within DCFS.

How many investigations does the state agency conduct per year, and how frequently do people report child abuse in Illinois?

How frequently is child abuse reported in Illinois?

There are 222 child abuse reports made daily in Illinois, according to Children's Advocacy Centers of Illinois.

DCFS has conducted 70,634 child protective services investigations so far in 2022, and 2021 saw 86,738 investigations. Not all reports result in an investigation, so these figures represent the portion of reports social workers determined warranted investigations.

The most common type of maltreatment experienced by Illinois children is neglect, with 85% of 2019 reports falling into the category. Physical abuse was reported 18.8% of the time, and sexual abuse comprised 14.4%.

Child fatalities in Illinois were higher in 2019 than in any year from 2015 to 2018, at 3.8 per 100,000 children.

The number of total child maltreatment victims and the number of children that were the subject of an investigated report alleging child maltreatment were both also higher in 2019 than in any single year from 2015 to 2018. This Illinois data was taken from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System.

How can you report suspected child abuse or neglect?

On average, a child tells seven adults about their abuse before a report is made. You may not be 100% certain a child is being abused, but reports are confidential and officials recommend reporting when you believe a child has been harmed or is at risk for harm.

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911 first.

You can also call the 24-hour child abuse hotline at 800-252-2873. Your call is confidential.

In non-emergency situations, you can use the state's online reporting system. You will be asked to provide as much information as you can, including the child's name, age, gender, address, current location and whether the child has a phone.

What else can you do for child abuse prevention month?

Prevent Child Abuse America recommends 10 steps to preventing child abuse:

1.

Be a nurturing parent.

2.

Help a relative, friend or neighbor with child care so the parents or guardians can rest or spend time together.

3.

Help yourself by taking a time out when you feel overwhelmed or out of control. Don't take your frustrations out on your child.

4.

Never shake a crying baby. Shaking a child could lead to severe injury or death. Learn what to do when your baby won't stop crying.

5.

Get involved. Ask your community leaders, clergy, library and schools to develop services to meet the needs of children and families.

6.

Help to develop parenting resources at your local library. If your local library doesn't already have parenting resources, request or offer to help obtain them.

7.

Promote prevention programs in school. Educating teachers and parents about identifying warning signs and reporting child abuse can help keep children safe.

8.

Monitor your child's media consumption.

9.

Volunteer at a local child abuse prevention program. For volunteer opportunities in Illinois, contact Denise McCaffery at info@pcaillinois.org with Prevent Child Abuse Illinois.

10.

Report suspected abuse or neglect.

You can find more information about showing support for preventing child abuse in this outreach kit.

This story was originally published April 18, 202212:41 PM.

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