This April will mark the annual observation of Child Abuse Prevention Month in Dallas County, and the Dallas County Children’s Advocacy Council has compiled its annual data on the state of child abuse prevention in the county.
The mission of the Children’s Advocacy Council — “All children deserve the opportunity 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 the 2019 fiscal year. Federal dollars are funneled 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 in Dallas County, including a large banner placed at the southeast corner of the courthouse lawn at Main Street and N Avenue. The global coronavirus pandemic might cause the postponement of some or all group events.
Recommending the proclamation and representing the ongoing importance of child abuse awareness and prevention efforts in the county are:
- 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 11,568 founded cases of child abuse in Iowa in 2018. Some 125 children were abused in Dallas County in 2018, down from 130 in 2017 and up slightly from 122 in 2016. The 2019 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.
