March 19, 2003 Student News
Center
Offers Help to Abuse Victims and Families
From the Hard
News Cafe (3/17/03)
There is a great work going on in Logan that is receiving little
or no recognition. The Child and Family Support Center is an
organization in Logan dedicated to the prevention of child abuse
and neglect. The center offers support for children and adults
who are victims of abuse.
Statistics for abuse in this country are increasing at an alarming
rate. Three children die per day in the United States as a result
of abuse and neglect. Eighty-two percent of these victims were
under the age of 5.
In 2001, the Cache County Attorney saved 1,555 victims of abuse.
Of those, 1,421 were sexual abuse cases. This figure is often
overlooked by residents of Cache Valley.
The center is doing its part to help victims of abuse and also
prevent further abuse from taking place. It operates 24 hours
and offers a number of resources for children and adults who
are victims of abuse. These resources include parenting classes,
social skills classes for children and also parent-support groups.
One of the most notable features of the center is its nursery.
The nursery offers crisis, respite and shelter care for children.
Parents using the respite care can leave their children in the
nursery during a designated time each week while coping with
high stress situations. Children in shelter are cared for at
the center during their transitions to alternate living situations.
The center also offers therapy to groups and individuals. Currently
there are therapy groups for both women and young girls.
There is very little funding for programs like the Child and
Family Support Center. It is a private, non-profit organization.
Much of the funding comes from grants and the United Way. Primary
funding for the nursery comes from the Utah Department of Human
Services. The center is in great need of funds right now to
expand their facility. They have very limited space and resources
to serve the number of people who utilize the centers programs.
Jeana Lee is a parent advocate at the center. She participates
in outreach programs and one-on-one parenting education in the
homes of clients. Jeana also facilitates parent support groups.
One of Jeana's most interesting responsibilities is the "Good
Touch/Bad Touch" program, being run through the elementary
schools in Cache Valley.
"Good Touch/Bad Touch" is abuse prevention curriculum
that focuses on teaching tools to stay safe from sexual abuse,"
Lee said. "It targets kids preschool through 6th grade."
This program is taught in the classrooms with teachers' and
also parents' permission. Children are encouraged, but not required
to attend.
Lee is a Utah State University graduate in social work. The
center works closely with the university to fill its intern
positions. The social work department is able to provide an
internship each semester for one or two of its students. Internship
positions are also filled each semester by students in the Success
program. Along with the available internships, there are other
ways that students and the community can volunteer and get involved
at the CFSC. Volunteers are needed each night and on weekends
in the nursery.
One of the best ways that Cache Valley residents can support
the Center right now is through monetary donations. Elaine Moffitt,
administrative assistant, and Heidi Spackman, an intern, expressed
the Center's great need for donations right now.
"We have to expand our facilities. It is way too small
to help the number of people we want to help," explained
Spackman. While volunteers will always be needed, funding is
the major concern right now at the center. The center also accepts
donations of new or used clothing or toys and non-perishable
foods.
The center works closely with www.UtahParent.com
and other related programs that can be found on the Youth Services
Program Web site presented by the state of Utah. Statistics
on abuse in Utah and other states are offered by the National
Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect.
The Child and Family
Support Center is located at 380 West 1400 North, Logan
and can be contacted at 435-752-8880.
By Tara Oldroyd
utah
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