The Children's Advocacy Center of Jackson County

Category: Statistics

  • 10 ways to keep children safe from abuse this holiday season

     

    By Betsy Lewis, Social Media Contractor for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    The holidays are coming, and families and friends will be gathering together to celebrate.

    Unfortunately, the holiday season is also the time of year when all types of child abuse increase.

    And it is those we know, these very family members and friends, who are the ones most likely to abuse our children.

    Here are some startling facts:

    ·        90% of children are abused by someone they know.

    ·        80% of sexual abuse occurs in one child – one adult situations.

    ·        30% of all child sexual abuse is perpetrated by other youth.

    Put these facts together with the hectic holiday season, where adults and children are thrown together, regular schedules are in flux, parents are often stressed and distracted, and you can see why kids are at greater risk this time of year.

    How can you protect your children? Darkness to Light/Stewards of Children, the curriculum we use in our Protect Our Children Trainings, calls it “Minimize Opportunity”

    Here are suggestions for your holiday season that will minimize the opportunities for abuse:

    1.      Choose group situations and have multiple adults supervise children.

    2.      Scan the physical environment for hidden areas and correct dangers.

    3.      Make sure interactions are observed and interrupted.

    4.      Remember older youth should not be in isolated, one-on-one situations with younger children.

    5.      Talk to kids about body boundaries (immediately, frequently and all year long.) Tell them they do not have to give or receive hugs, kisses, or other affection. Tell them to talk to you if anyone crosses their body boundaries. If your child tells you that he doesn’t want to be around a particular person or participate in a particular outing, take her or him seriously.

    6.      Avoid one child – one adult situations. If you do have to leave your child alone with someone, make it “observable and interruptible.” Let the adult know that you could return at any time, that you and your child are educated about child sexual abuse and that you have taught your child to tell you if there are body boundary violations.

    7.      Have a household open door policy – no interior doors are to be shut.

    8.      Make sure all outings, games and activities are observable by you or others.

    9.      Make any interactions with older children observable by multiple adults.

    10.   Be aware of “roughhousing.” Know that tickling, poking the stomach, patting the butt or knees, rubbing shoulders, can all be part of the grooming process.

    This is a hard truth and can be difficult to hear and accept: You cannot trust anyone 100% and no one is exempt, not even the closest, most beloved family members.

    Additionally, be sure to manage your own stress level and drug and alcohol use so you can be alert and aware. Most importantly, go with your instincts. Pay attention and take the necessary steps to correct any dangers if anything bothers you about someone who spends time with your child.

    The best way to keep the holidays a beautiful and magical experience and memory is to take good care of you and yours. You matter!

     

    Betsy Lewis

     

  • Calling All Grandparents!

    Calling All Grandparents!

    Grandmother Betsy

     

    By Betsy Lewis, Internet and Social Media Contractor for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    I don’t know about you, but back when I was a parent in the 1980s and ‘90s I didn’t know much about child abuse or how to prevent it.

    I just assumed it wouldn’t happen to my kids – because I wouldn’t let it. But to be honest, if you had asked me how I would not let this happen, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. The only thing I did back then was to tell my kids not to go with strangers – better known as “Stranger Danger.”

    I figured since I was a good parent and we lived in a nice neighborhood in a family-oriented community – that this wouldn’t be a concern. I believed child abuse happened somewhere else.  I sent my kids freely to various summer camps, enrolled them in sports and let them go to their friends’ homes and sleep-overs where I only knew the host families superficially. I grew up this way and my parents did the same thing.

    NOW, as part of the CAC, I am dismayed by how irresponsible this was.

    What I know today is that 1 in 10 kids will be abuse before their 18st birthday and that child sexual abuse happens EVERYWHERE – that it doesn’t matter if you are a good parent, live in a nice neighborhood, have good friends or a close family.  

    Here is what I know now:

    1. 90% of child abuse victims are abused by someone they know.
    2. 60% of abusers are acquaintances — like teachers, neighbors, or community leaders.
    3. 30% of abusers are immediate or extended family.
    4. Only 10% of abusers are STRANGERS to the child.

    Now that I am a grandparent, I want something different for my 9-year-old grandson. I want to do better. I want to make sure he is protected. I want to get it right for him.

    Last year, I invited my 28-year-old daughter (the mother of said 9-year-old grandson) to attend a free PROTECT OUR CHILDREN child abuse prevention training with me. She is a wonderful mom and I am very proud of her, but I wanted her to know and do more about child abuse than I did as her mother. I wanted her to be better informed than I was.

    The two of us set down together at a free training at the Medford library — on behalf of this little boy we both love — learning how to keep him safe. Then we had a nice dinner out and talked about what we had learned. It was truly bonding. (I always tear up when I think or talk about it.)

    Soon after the training, I saw my daughter putting her training into practice by being an “active bystander” and reassuring a friend who had made a report of abuse that she had “done the right thing.”

    She was not only able to know how to protect her child, she was vigilantly caring for other kids around her.   

    Grandparents! We know your adult/parent children are crazy busy — but grab them and take them to a child abuse prevention training with you or babysit for the grand kids while they take a training.

    If you haven’t taken the training yourself, schedule a time to do that. YOU can be an active bystander by learning how to protect your grand kids, knowing the signs of abuse and knowing how to react responsibly if you suspect abuse.

    The fact is that many sexually abused children (possibly your grandchildren) will suffer trauma severe enough to negatively impact their adult lives. They are 3X more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol and 2x more likely to drop out of school.   

    We may be older, but going forward and armed with knowledge of the true threat, we must do better for our grandchildren. As active bystanders, we truly can be a powerful force for good in the lives of the children of our community and future generations.

    You can find out more and sign up for the FREE Protect Our Children training here: http://cacjc.org/trainings

     

  • The 872 abused children in Jackson County are “Our People”

     

    By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    I am sitting in my office this morning blasting music before everyone gets here.  This is not unusual.  I tend to get here before staff and before things get too hectic to plan out my day and to get as much done prior to the busyness of the day starts.

    It is during these precious minutes in the sort of quiet of my morning that I am able to focus on the mission of the CAC.

     I am able to hear the silence of the abused children in our community. 

    The month of April is always a poignant reflection on the work that we do because it is “our” month (Child Abuse Prevention/Awareness and Sexual Assault Awareness Month).   In 2016 there were 872 abused children in our community, according to the latest version of the Child Welfare Data Book.  I find that number astounding. 

    But what bothers me even more are the children that remain silent.  It actually scares me a little. 

    According to some statistics we know that about 30% of child sexual abuse goes undisclosed and unreported. 

    I have been working in this field for 28 years.  I started in my twenties.  My first job was with a rural child protection agency in Louisiana.  I was literally hired before I graduated.  During finals week I drove home for an interview on a Saturday.  I started work the day after my graduation ceremony because I needed to have my diploma in order to begin with the State. 

    I went back and began working in the community where I graduated high school.  The population of the parish seat was under 8,000 and the parish was around 50,000.  These were “my people” as we would say in the South.  I either knew them, knew of them, knew their aunt, their sister, their brother or graduated with their cousin.  Seriously.

    I had no idea what I was walking into.  I had no idea the heartache I would feel when assigned a report that involved someone that I went to high school with.  It was a military town, so mostly I prayed to get a report involving the families on post.

    In retrospect this was the best thing that could have happened to build the best foundation for what turned out to be my life’s work.  I learned some key skills that I am recognizing many in the field have not developed. 

    I learned humility.  I learned compassion.  I learned empathy. I also learned the art of persuasion.  This was sometimes the only tool available to get you off the front porch facing a very angry father, who held a gun in his hand, and to the kitchen table, with a glass of sweet tea in front of you.  Let me clarify. The gun was never pointed at me and, truth be told, this only happened to me once. These people…my people…were those I grew up with.  They were people, in some cases, that were adults that I respected. 

    I can almost pinpoint when I developed these skills.  There was a legislative change in my state and all unfounded reports had to be expunged from all records.  The pay for a caseworker in Louisiana at that time was pretty low.  This was an opportunity to make some overtime, so many of us would come in on the weekends and work on expunging records. 

    During that process, I came across many records of people I went to school with.  When I realized how many of the kids I went to school and church with that were reported as victims of abuse, my childhood played back in my mind in slow motion, in segments.  I could literally remember moments when I was “judging” kids I knew as being lazy because they slept in class or bad because they were always lashing out at people. 

    Those overtime hours were hard.  I spent a lot of time in self-reflection.  I can say that I always tried to be nice to everyone, so I didn’t feel like I had to redeem myself in anyway, but it was a pivotal moment in my life. 

    Since that time, I have had others who were more than classmates, they were/are friends, tell me about their history of abuse.  It reminds me that these children who are abused in our community are not unknown to us.  The 872 abused children in Jackson County are part of us. They are “our people”. 

    As April comes to an end I want to challenge each of you to continue to do something…to do one thing a day, a week, a month, or at least a year to help address child abuse. 

    It is a community problem.  We have to work together.  It is the only way to make a change.  I invite you to call me or to contact us through our website or our Facebook Page if you are unsure what your one thing could be.

     

  • The Stories the Numbers Do Not Tell

    By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    As another year comes to an end, I am reflecting on things I could have done better, missed opportunities and what changes I will be committed to in the New Year.  I am also looking back over all the good work that the CAC staff, Board, Volunteers, Advisory Council and friends of the CAC have done in the last 12 months.

    • Year to date we have served 716 children who were abused and 443 of their non-offending caregivers.
    • 148 of these young victims suffered more than one type of abuse.
    • We provided 295 children with more than 2000 therapy services.
    • Our Family Support Team provided over 2500 support and advocacy services.
    • Our Forensic Interviewing Team provided 570 forensic interviews.
    • Our Medical Department provided 171 medical services.
    • Our prevention program taught 561 adults to recognize and respond to child sexual abuse.

    When you look at just the numbers it tells a story.   We together were able to make an impact on 1159 people who have suffered trauma as result of child abuse.  The year isn’t even over.  We will see children right up until the last hours of the year.  Our team provided over 5000 life changing services.

    What the numbers do not tell you is a whole other story. 

    They do not tell you of a young lady who sought and received confidential advocacy through our co-located Community Works advocate.  They do not tell you of the mom that received comfort and support when her world began to crumble around her as her child disclosed sexual abuse by his dad.  They do not tell you of the young children who witnessed horrific violent abuse of one parent by another who found safety as a result of their visit to our Intake Department.  They do not tell you about the youth who found relief as her CAC Medical Provider told her that her body was fine and assured her she did not have a sexually transmitted infection.  No, the numbers only tell part of the story.

    Nationally there is a debate as to whether child abuse numbers are decreasing. 

    We are not seeing that at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County.  I cannot explain why that is.  I have theories but that is all they are; not based in science or fact.  I do know that we continue to have much work to do.  I do know there are many children in our community that continue to seek safety.

    I read the news.  I watch the news every day.  It gets to be pretty depressing.  There is not a day that goes by that I do not read some tragic story of a child who have been chronically neglected.  I read a story yesterday of two children whose mother left them home locked in a room while she traveled.  She had an adult friend check in on them and feed them once a day.  Toddlers.

    It is heart breaking.  I reflect on that as my stress mounts in providing my son the best Christmas ever.  I reflect how many of our community partners are striving to provide the best holidays for the children we serve by providing giving trees and gifts for those young abuse victims we see every day at the CAC.  This time of year always pulls at my heart strings.  Children should go to bed with images of sugar plums parading through their dreams, not with images of someone they love doing something unimaginable.

    What can you do as one person in the universe? 

    • You can take our free Protect Our Children Child Abuse Prevention Training.  It is free.  Call the CAC or sign up here: http://cacjc.org/services/prevention.  It will be some of the most beneficial hours you spend all year.
    • You can provide financial support to one or all of our service programs.  We are good stewards of your donations and make them work to impact the most children possible. Donate Here
    • You can volunteer at the CAC.  We are in need of volunteers in all departments. More Information Here
    • You can make a report when you see something that makes you suspicious a child is being neglected or abused.  You CAN make a difference. More About Making a Report Here

    You only need to choose how you will do it.

  • One Thing You Can Do That Matters

    One Thing You Can Do That Matters

    By Ginny Sagal, Communication & Outreach Coordinator for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    You can’t read a newspaper or turn on a television without hearing about child sexual abuse.

    Do not feel helpless.

    There is one thing you can do that matters in addressing child sexual abuse.  You can take a child abuse prevention training through the Children’s Advocacy Center Protect Our Children Project.  

    When I read and hear these horrible stories, I think how wonderful it would be if all parents and caregivers knew how to recognize and respond to child sexual abuse.

    The Protect Our Children training guides you through 5 steps to protecting children from sexual abuse.

    The 5 Steps are:

    1. Learn the Facts: 1 in 10 children are sexually abused before the age of 18. Over 90% of them know their abuser. There is no more of this stranger danger thing. We need to go beyond that.
    2. Minimize the Opportunity: Decrease the risk of abuse by eliminating one on one situations.
    3. Talk About It: Have age appropriate, open conversations about our bodies, sex and boundaries. I think of the gymnast kids who were abused by their doctor or coach that the families had trusted.
    4. Recognize the signs: Why is this person giving gifts to my child? Why is this person always with the kids when he or she should be with the adults when we are at a party?
    5. React Responsibly: How you reacts matters. Go with your gut feeling!

    The Protect Our Children Project uses the Stewards of Children curriculum, developed by Darkness to Light.

    We believe that when adults take the class they recognized that it is all our responsibility to protect children.

    We believe that adults who take the class decrease the risk of the children in their life being sexually abused.

    The fact is that 99% of participants who take the training would recommend this training to a friend, family member or co-worker. (Study done by the University of Oregon Center for Prevention of Abuse and Neglect.)

    The Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County has partnered with The Ford Family Foundation to offer this training to anyone in Jackson County for FREE.

    Just think, in 2 to 3 short hours you can decrease the risk that a child in your life will be sexually abused. THAT IS BIG!!!

    Do one thing that Matters for the kids and teens in your life. Take a Protect our Children training.

    To register for a training for yourself or your group, business or organization go to: http://cacjc.org/services/prevention  or call Leah Howell, Protect Our Children Training Coordinator, at 541-734-5437 ext. 1013

    Ginny Sagal

  • What Will Be YOUR One Thing?

    By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    Have you picked up a paper lately and there not be a story about someone coming out and stepping forward to tell about their abuse history?

    Almost daily there is a breaking news story about a child actor or actress being sexually assaulted or harassed.  Some of it a long time ago.  Some of it not so long ago.  I have watched and read in fascination.

    Has it happened?  Have we reached the tipping point?  Have we reached a time where we have created a safe environment for those who have been abused to tell their story?  Or is it those who have been abused demanding safety for those who come behind them and face the same situations…whether it be on a casting couch, in the locker room or at home?

    I think Taylor Swift started a revolution.  Maybe it is coincidental, but I have said in the past that her actions had the potential to change the world.  Maybe they have.

    There are those who would say that everyone coming forward are in it for the money.  Can we think about this logically for a minute?  ACES, the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, tells us that children who experience trauma have a high incidence of substance abuse, eating disorders, suicide, cancer, diabetes, mental health issues, and many other diagnoses that span over their lifetime.  This is research.  This is evidence based.

    Keeping that in mind, let’s look at Corey Haim.  He died young.  He had substance abuse issues throughout his life.  And there was public speculation regarding his sexual abuse as a young person by authority figures in Hollywood.  You could say the same thing regarding Corey Feldman.  Or the Michael Jackson’s accusers–the list is endless.

    Before you discount the validity of any of the people coming forward today with disclosures, educate yourself about what the dynamics of child sexual abuse are.  In the case of those who this happened to as adults, learn about the dynamics of power and control in sexual assault.  Rape is not a crime about sexual pleasure in many cases.  It is about power and control and humiliation.  It is about aggression.

    I am not naive enough to think that every single person who is coming forward and making accusations is telling the complete truth.  But I do know that, statistically speaking, more allegations are true than are not true.

    Why do we work so hard to disprove the accuser and believe the accused?

    I also know that liking someone or admiring someone or idolizing someone does not equal their innocence as an offender.  Who do we think commits these crimes?  They are our friends, our heroes, our family, our bosses, our employees, our ministers, and our teachers…just think about the statistics.  One in ten children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday.  70% of all sexual assaults happen to children age 17 and younger.  And 90% to 95% of those abused know their abusers.

    We have some momentum going on at the national level.  How do we keep it going?  How do we get it started on a local level?  How do we continue to create a safe space for child sexual abuse victims to come forward?

    We start by doing one thing.

    Would you join me and do one thing to support an abused child? What will be your one thing?  Will you make a report?  Will you believe a child?  Will you make a donation to support the Children’s Advocacy Center’s efforts to help abused children begin to heal?  Will you volunteer some time at the Children’s Advocacy Center? Will you create a safe space for a child to come forward?

    Will you be courageous and believe them when they do?

    For more information about the CAC’s Do One Thing That Matters campaign and view the full list of things you can do that matter to an abused child, visit: http://cacjc.org/do-one-thing-that-matters-2018/

  • Community “Farmers” Planting Seeds of Hope

    By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County — from her speech at our October, 2017 Cherish a Child Luncheon

     

    A wise man looked at the response in place in Jackson County for victims of child abuse and thought there was opportunity to improve this response.

    That wise man was Mark Huddleston, or as we like to refer to him, Our Founding Father.

    I am so thankful for his vision. His vision became the Jackson County Child Abuse Task Force.

    In March 1991 the Children’s Advocacy Center was opened. The Center had two employees. The only statistic that we kept was that 229 cases were staffed by the multi-disciplinary team. In 1991 our budget was $56,000. The next year the budget increased slightly and we staffed 236 cases and there were 167 interviews completed.

    In the 1993-94 fiscal year, the state of Oregon decided to get serious about how it handled child abuse cases and passed HB 5061. This bill established the Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Intervention program and provided MDT’s across the state with funding. This funding has continued and provides sustainability to services provided in our community to victims of child abuse.

    That same year, the CAC of Jackson County began offering therapy on-site under a contract. In 1994 the CAC of Jackson County became one of the very first centers in the country to become an accredited member of the National Children’s Alliance. We also purchased the building that we still reside in at 816 W. Tenth Street.

    Along the way we added services. We increased the number of children served. We increased the budget. Growing. Stretching. To serve the abused children in our community.

    In 1997 we began doing medical exams utilizing local pediatricians. The next year we added a nurse and an interviewer to staff and hired the first office manager. At that time the position was called an administrative secretary. Some people may not know this, but that first office manager was Laura Horton, who is now our Board President.

    In 1999 we entered into our first partnership with Asante Health System. They provided a full time pediatrician to provide medical evaluations to abused children.

    In the years to come, we added on to our space. We even expanded across the parking lot.

    Today the CAC has 15 employees. We have three full time therapists. We have two medical providers and, for the first time in a long time, our medical clinic is providing services for 40 hours a week. We have one and a half forensic interviewers. One of them is bilingual. Jennifer is the first bilingual forensic interviewer on the Jackson County MDT.

    We have a Family Support Team that provides support and advocacy services to abused children and their non-offending caregivers in Jackson County. There are 5 members of this team. Four employed by the CAC, and one is part of a special project with Community Works.

    We have an outreach team made up of a development director, an outreach coordinator and two contractors working on prevention and community education.

    We have an executive director and an office manager.

    We have a board made up of 18 extraordinary community members and an advisory council made up of ten very wise advisors.

    Stay tuned. We need to grow a little more to meet the increasing needs of the abused children we serve.

    Our theme this year is “Planting a Seed”. I decided to do some research using my top advisor, Google. Here is what I learned:

    • Plants cannot grow strong without proper care.
    • Plants can’t take care of themselves.
    • Some plants are thorny and seem to lash out at anyone who comes near, but these same plants grow into some of the prettiest, sturdiest, and sweetest smelling flowers.
    • Plants cannot find their own water or their own light or their own environment in which to grow.
    • If you want tulips in the spring, you have to get your hands dirty in the fall.
    • Sometimes you need to clear weeds away so that the plant can thrive.

    With those concepts in mind, let’s think about abused children and how this theme might fit:

    • A child cannot grow strong without proper care.
    • A child can’t take care of themselves without some help.
    • Sometimes the child who needs the most love asks for it in the most unlovable ways…but just like that thorny plant…if we nurture and care for that child and give that child love, he can grow into this amazing functioning adult.
    • Sometimes you need to clear the hurts away so a child can thrive.

    In last year we served 695 children and 414 non-offending caregivers with nearly 5,000 services. Amazing. 1,109 seeds planted.

    We are here because of support from the community. We are here because there are people who want to help abused children recover from their trauma.

    I will be honest. It has been a hard month for children in Jackson County. There are many seeds that need to be sowed. Many hurts that need to be cleared away.

    I am so thankful that our staff and our MDT–our partners here–are able to show incredible strength and love for the tender souls of the children suffering from trauma from abuse.

    Child Abuse happens. It happens here. It happens way too frequently. When I am still…when it is quiet…and I am alone with my thoughts…I am thankful, not discouraged. I am thankful that I live my life in a community where children are priority.

    I am thankful that I live my life surrounded by “farmers” planting seeds of hope for the future.

    Child Abuse is a community problem and requires a community response.

    My promise to you—as a community partner, a MDT member, a staff member, a CAC volunteer— is that every single day I will meet you in the garden. Ready to get my hands dirty. Ready to clear away the hurts.

    If you would like to make a donation to Cherish a Child and support the CAC’s work of healing and preventing child abuse, please make a donation of any amount below.

     

  • Does child abuse happen in our state? In Jackson County?

    By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    April is child abuse prevention/awareness month.  This is my traditional April Blog recognizing and focusing on the problem of child abuse.

    I was doing a little research to see what was going on in the world of child abuse.  I found a page on the internet that is nothing but stories of child abuse.  They are all true.  They are all recent.  They are all heartbreaking.

    One tells of a child whose father found out she was having sex and so, as punishment, forced her to become a prostitute at a truck stop.  There are stories of child fatalities; there are stories of parents beating their children.  It is quite disturbing.  It is a true crime website.  I was simply looking for some compelling story to blog about and found a whole site.  All from 2017.

    Some will say that those horrible things do not happen in Oregon.  Those things happen in other countries or other parts of this country. Sadly, this is not accurate.

    There were 964 children abused in Jackson County in 2016.  In the state of Oregon, there were 27 child abuse fatalities.  21 of those were perpetrated by a parent or parent figure.  All 27 of the children who died knew their abuser.  We call it child abuse fatalities, and as awful as that sounds, it does not sound as awful as murder.  We look for words that are softer to describe these heinous acts.

    Child abuse happens in Oregon.  Child abuse happens in Jackson County. 

    The foster parent shortage that has been reported on is not just in other parts of the state.  It is here in our county as well.

    This is not someone else’s problem.  It is ours. The problem has been long established.  What isn’t as clear, is the solution.

    How do we make a meaningful impact?  Where is the catchy child abuse slogan?  You know…like the “War on Drugs” or “No Child Left Behind”.  Where is the rally cry to help keep kids safe from the dangers that lurk within their own homes?

    People who work in the field of child abuse; particularly those who work in prevention, joke about “working themselves out of a job” and “putting the CAC out of business”.  It is a good goal.  But where is the rally cry?  These of course are rhetorical questions.  Unless you have an actual answer.  Then I am all ears!

    There are things that you can do all year long…..long after April has ended. You can:

    • Find an agency that helps to protect children and support them in any way you can. If you can’t donate money, then donate time and talent.  Nonprofit agencies are quite adept at leveraging whatever your gift is, with other gifts, to create the biggest impact.
    • If you suspect abuse, make a report–even if it feels uncomfortable or even if you are unsure. The professionals will figure it out. You don’t have to figure it out.
    • Not sure what abuse looks like? Take a training on recognizing abuse.  The CAC of Jackson County offers several opportunities, either through our Protect Our Children program or through other offerings such as Responding to Allegations of Child Maltreatment offered this May. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/kwm6qx5
    • Do you see a mom or a dad struggling? Offer to help.
    • Let your legislative representatives know that children and child abuse is a priority for you and you want it to be their priority as well—both at the state and federal level.
    • You can change the conversation from “Why didn’t she tell?” to “Why did he do that?”
    • You can become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and learn how to advocate for children in the foster care system. We have hundreds of children on a waiting list right now who need an advocate.
    • You can teach your children, your grandchildren, your nieces and nephews, your neighbor’s child — all the children in your life — who is allowed to touch what part of their bodies and under what circumstance.
    • You can tell the adults in your life that your child is off limits by being present, by asking the right questions, and by staying in tuned and attentive to your child. If an offender knows you are watching and vigilant, it makes your child less accessible to them.

    You can STOP saying Not My Child; Not My Problem.

     

     

  • Philanthropy Should Be at the Heart of All Local Businesses

    Philanthropy Should Be at the Heart of All Local Businesses

    By Renae Dixon, KeyBank

    At KeyBank, we have one overall goal: to help our clients and communities thrive. While we have a laser focus on financial wellness, we realize the benefit of a holistic approach to well-being and are always looking for ways to be involved in the communities where we live and work.

    That is why the mission of one of our clients, CACJC, is so important to us. As they support the most vulnerable in our society, we are proud to support them in any way we can, including financial support.

    We have always been aware of the excellent work they do in the community and are proud to support their goals. For the past two years, we have presented a gift to the organization at our invitation-only event on the eve of the annual Southern Oregon Business Conference. That evening we were proud and pleased to showcase CACJC and raise visibility for its work on behalf of children in the presence of an audience of prospective supporters and donors.

    Philanthropy is part of KeyBank’s DNA and we have been nationally recognized for improving the quality of life in our communities. The Civic 50 identifies the top 50 S&P 500 corporations in the U.S. in terms of time, talent and resources used to improve the quality of life in their communities. Key was named to the most recent Civic 50 list as one of America’s 50 most community-minded companies by the National Conference on Citizenship and Points of Light.

    The KeyBank Foundation works hard all year long to connect closely with nonprofit partners that will have a transformative impact on our communities, and our employees’ engagement in volunteerism and personal philanthropy is a source of pride for us all.

    We’re certainly not alone in our commitment to improving the quality of life in our communities. According to Giving USA, corporations donated $18.45 billion in 2016. That’s a great deal of money. But the needs are always greater.

    Will you join the movement? If you have the chance to initiate a program of volunteering or donating at your business, I encourage you to do so. Being a good neighbor and helping our community allows all of us to thrive, together.

     

    About the author: Renae Dixon is Senior Business Services Officer at KeyBank. She can be reached at 541-282-2372 or renae_a_dixon@keybank.com.

  • How are children faring in Oregon?

    By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    Today I am sitting in my office listening to the rain and feeling a little sad and a lot overwhelmed.  It’s Sunday and the office is very quiet except for the rain trickling through the rain gutters and the tap of my fingers on the keyboard.

    No, I am not sad because I am working on the weekend or because it is raining.

    I am sad because I just read the 2015 Child Welfare Data Book.

    There is much controversy across the country because there are statistics that have been released in recent years that indicate child abuse is on the decrease. I have watched this discussion and sometimes participated in this discussion over the last few years and I just don’t see this to be true in my every day practice.

    According to the 2015 Child Welfare Data Book, 27 children in Oregon died as a result of child abuse and neglect. 

    In 2014 that number was 13.  In 2013 that number was 10.  27 is a number that describes an amount but does not tell the story.  Behind that 27 are children that died at the hands of another.  21 of those deaths were caused by one or both parents.  20 of those children were under the age of 5.

    I do not know all their stories.  I do not know the heinous circumstance in which they died.  I would not recognize them in a picture if you showed it to me.  But my heart weeps just the same.  Each of those children carried with them potential that was never realized.  Each of those children had dreams that were never dreamt.

    Our community will never be what it could have been if those 27 children lived. 

    But, unfortunately, that is not all of the story.  As I read further, I learned that

    41.5% of the time for the abused and neglected children in Oregon, the perpetrator is their mom.  37% of the time it is their father.  A relative, a live in companion, foster parent, or guardian are the perpetrator 15.5% of the time.

    94% of the time the perpetrator was someone who, by their very role in the child’s life, is supposed to be a protector not an abuser.

    I read further.  In Jackson County our numbers increased as well.  In 2013, there were 707 victims of child abuse in our county.  In 2014 that rose to 801 and in 2015 rose again to 954.

    These are more than numbers.  There were 954 children in our community that were harmed in some way.  Chances are you know one of these 954.  Chances are they go to school with your child or grandchild.  Chances are that your paths crossed with one of these children.  You may have sat next to one at church or at a community event.  You may have seen one riding their bike in your neighborhood.

    Please do not think this is not your business.  It is your business.  It is my business.  These children are our children.

    As I read through the “numbers”, faces of children I have worked with over the years flash in my mind’s eye.  Some of them are ones that I was not happy with the outcomes and, if I am honest, I often wonder what happened after.  What kind of adult are they?  Are they happy?  Did they find peace?

    These are the thoughts that will be running through my brain, stealing sleep from me over the next few weeks.  It happens every year after I read the Data Book.  It’s predictable.  I imagine there are Department of Human Services Supervisors and case workers doing the same.

    Every year when the report is released I wonder what else I can do to keep that number from increasing.  What else can the CAC do?  What else can our community partners do?

    We can’t bury our head in the sand and pretend it isn’t happening.  Jackson County has the 9th highest rate of abuse per 1000 children in the state of Oregon. 

    No one entity and no one person is the answer.  It takes all of us.

    Not sure what you can do?

    Let me suggest a few things:

    • Make a donation to the Children’s Advocacy Center.  We provide fantastic evidence based interventions to the abused children and their non-offending caregivers that we serve. We do not charge the families for these services. The bottom line is; it takes money to provide these services. Donate Now.
    • Become a Children’s Advocacy Center volunteer. Or become a volunteer at The Family Nurturing Center or at CASA.  We all need volunteers.  We need people who can give some time that will help a child.  The Advocacy Center needs some adults who can answer a phone, play a game of checkers, and make a phone call or two…..drink a cup a coffee with a non-offending caregiver or share a gold fish with a child while they are waiting for their appointment. Learn more about volunteering at the CAC or call Ginny at: vsagal@cacjc.org or 541-734-5437
    • Take a class.  The Children’s Advocacy Center has a prevention program called Protect Our Children that uses Darkness to Light’s curriculum “Stewards of Children” to teach adults to recognize and respond to child sexual abuse.  It is an adult’s responsibility to keep kids safe but how can you do that if you don’t know how to identify it.  Or even better, host a class for your church, your civic organization, your place of employment, your best friends—any group of people you are involved in. Schedule a class for yourself or your group
    • Talk to your legislative representatives about the importance of funding in programs that respond and intervene in child abuse.  Talk to them about the CAC and the work that we do. Find your legislators
    • Become informed.  Attend the Free CAC Community Forum coming up on Nov. 7th regarding keeping kids safe on the internet.

    You Matter.