New Illinois DCFS PSA highlights ways to keep children safe

CHICAGO (Heartland Newsfeed) – April is Child Abuse Prevention Month in Illinois. To increase awareness, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) released a new public service announcement Tuesday. The PSA campaign highlights simple things everyone can do to help keep children safe during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

“At DCFS, we are first responders when it comes to helping families in crisis, but we cannot do this job alone,” states DCFS acting director Marc Smith in the PSA.

Smith states that in these stressful, uncertain times of physical distancing, they need your help more than ever. This comes as homeschooling continues to be prevalent, as well as not knowing when things will return to normal.

“Text your friends with children and see how they’re doing,” Smith adds. “Share child abuse prevention messages on social media.”

Smith notes that if you suspect that a child is being abused or neglected, call the 24-hour DCFS Child Abuse Hotline. The hotline number is (800) 25-ABUSE, or (800) 252-2873.

The hotline is working at full capacity during the pandemic. Fortunately, DCFS is currently handling calls in real-time without the requirement of a callback.

Child protection specialists are continuing to respond to hotline calls 24 hours a day. Most cases will result in face-to-face contact within 24 hours to assess the safety of the child.

The audio inclusion comes courtesy of the Illinois Information Service.

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