Child abuse cases on the rise across Central Illinois

Posted on July 16, 2021
The network reports over 4,400 cases are pending. (Photo courtesy: Child Protection Network/Facebook)

By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – Child abuse cases are on the rise across Central Illinois, with over 4,400 pending cases.

According to Samantha Stevenson with the Child Protection Network, the latest Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) report shows cases are up across the board.

“Right now in Central Illinois, there are a little over 5,500 confirmed cases of child abuse this far, just in Central Illinois. Again, the total numbers for that last year were just at 6,600. Plus, there’s still another, when we were talking about these cases that are on backlog right now, 4,400 pending cases.”

Of the confirmed cases, over 10,000 children have been affected in Central Illinois.

“There’s a lot of high numbers that we’re not likely to see right now, but it will be interesting to see how those numbers shift at the end of the year,” Stevenson told WJBC’s, Marc Strauss.

Stevenson said part of the backlog is the lack of staff to investigate the cases.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…