April will mark the annual observation of Child Abuse Prevention Month in Dallas County, the county supervisors proclaimed Tuesday on the recommendation of the Dallas County Children’s Advocacy Council.
The mission of the Children’s Advocacy Council — “All children deserve the opportunty to live in a safe and positive environment so that they can grow to reach their full potential” — remains the same even after the 70 percent cut in funding for this fiscal year. Federal dollars are funnelled through the Iowa Department of Human Services and then to agencies such as Prevent Child abuse Iowa, which administers local grants.
As in previous years, a number of events and activities are planned for Child Abuse Prevention Month, including a large banner placed at the southeast corner of the courthouse lawn at Main Street and N Avenue. Other events in April include:
April 3 – 8:30 a.m., Screening “Dark Side of the Full Moon,” Human Services Campus
April 5 – Wear Blue Day, #WearBlue
April 8 – Early Childhood Brain Science: Nurturing Strong Mental Health, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Science Center of Iowa
April 10 – 7:30 -10:30 a.m., Community Partnerships for Protecting Children Morning Mixer, Brick Street Cafe
April 10 – 4:30-6:30 p.m., Minds DSM: Stories of Courage and Discovery, Science Center of Iowa
April 11 – 6:30 p.m., Connections Matter, Gan Shalom Preschool, Waukee
April 22 – 10 a.m., Preventing Social Isolation, Science Center of Iowa
Recommending the proclamation to the supervisors Tuesday and describing the ongoing importance of child abuse awareness and prevention efforts in the county were:
- Deb Schrader, executive director of 4RKids Early Childhood Iowa
- Debra Franz, restorative justice specialist in the Dallas County juvenile court system
- Abigail Akers, domestic abuse specialist at the Crisis Intervention and Advocacy Center
- Jenny Felt, coordinator of DCAT and Community Partnerships for Protecting Children
- Nikki Kinkennon-Bettis, domestic abuse specialist at the Crisis Intervention and Advocacy Center
- Val Cameron, preschool enrichment coordinator in the Dallas County office of ISU Extension and Outreach
According to statistics compiled by the Iowa Department of Human Services, there were 11,000 founded cases of child abuse in Iowa in 2017. Some 130 children were abused in Dallas County in 2017, up from 122 in 2016 and 111 in 2015. The 2018 statistics have yet to be released by the state but as the county’s population grows, the incidence of child abuse will likely increase as well.
Schrader said nearly 50 percent of victims of abuse or neglect are under the age of 5.
“In spite of the recent high-profile cases in Dallas County, our funding was cut by 70 ercent,” Schrader said. “It’s a sad, sad state of affairs.”
