Latest news with #DepartmentofChildrenandFamilyServices
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What to know about Childhood Drowning Prevention Month
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — As trips to pools and lakes ramp up with the warmer weather, the Department of Children and Family Services reminds people how to prevent childhood drowning. Through all of 2024, 19 children in Illinois lost their lives to accidental drowning, with eight in pools, four in lakes, four in rivers, two in ponds, and one in a bathtub, a DCFS spokesperson said. Of these 19 youths, nine were under the age of five years old, with six of those drowning in pools. With May being Childhood Drowning Prevention Month, DCFS released the following tips to prevent drowning, they said. They say in bathrooms to never leave a child alone in the tub or rely on a bathtub seat, secure the toilet lid, and don't let them play in the bathroom alone, they said. Five-gallon buckets pose a risk to children as well, as they can 'topple' into them and be unable to get out, they said. Inflatable pools should be completely drained and stored upside down, as babies can drown in as little as one inch of water, they said. The following were tips for hot tubs and swimming pools, according to the spokesperson: Appoint an adult who can swim to always watch children when they are in the pool. Enroll children in swimming lessons. Keep ladders, patio furniture and toys away from above-ground pools. Install a four-sided fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate around all pools and spas. Young children can wear personal flotation devices, but do not be lured into thinking these are able to prevent drownings. Keep hot tubs securely covered when not in use. Children should not be left in a hot tub alone. Learn CPR and keep rescue equipment, a phone and emergency numbers by the pool. The American Red Cross offers online CPR training classes anyone can take at their own pace from the convenience of home. The last aspect was ponds, fountains, and other water hazards in your yards, and check those places first if a child goes missing, they said. For more information, visit the DCFS website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Louisiana seeks waiver to ban candy, soft drinks purchases with SNAP benefits
Louisiana will seek a waiver from the federal government to prohibit the purchase of soft drinks and candy with federal food assistance. Gov. Jeff Landry announced his intentions Thursday in an executive order he touted in a video posted on social media. 'The Make America Healthy Again movement is not one of words, but of action!' Landry posted. 'That is why today I signed an Executive Order banning soda and candy purchases from Louisiana's food stamp program.' Landry's executive order doesn't actually prohibit these purchases, as he does not have that authority. The order instructs the state's Department of Children and Family Services, which oversees the state's implementation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to seek a waiver to do so from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program. Landry's executive order does not define either soft drinks or candy. The governor also urged the Legislature to approve Senate Bill 14 by Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, a sweeping piece of nutrition legislation that, among other things, seeks a USDA waiver to prohibit the purchase of beverages with more than 5 grams of added sugar or any artificial sweetener. Drinks that include milk or milk substitutes would be exempt from this prohibition. When McMath presented his bill to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee this week, he said he specifically decided not to seek prohibition of candy purchases with SNAP benefits. Many Louisiana residents live in food deserts, and McMath said he did not want to prevent people who might only be able to shop at convenience stores from eating. Landry's order also instructs DCFS to find ways to incentivize SNAP recipients to buy produce, such as participating in the Double Up Food Bucks program. The program provides matching aid dollars for fruit and vegetable purchases in more than two dozen states. The order sets an Oct. 1 deadline for DCFS to submit its waiver application to the Trump administration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Chicago Tribune
10-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Community outreach planned for Child Abuse Prevention Month; ‘Protecting young victims' mental and physical health is … hugely important'
Children and teens in red capes and superhero poses on brightly-colored flyers and pamphlets are making their way to families at resource fairs and special events scheduled throughout Lake County this month. The eye-catching art is part of the Blue Kids campaign that takes place in April, during Child Abuse Prevention Month. Its purpose is to get the message out that children are not alone. Community outreach is just one of the ways the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center (LCCAC) works to fight child abuse. The center is the first of its kind in Illinois. It operates with a multidisciplinary team that includes law enforcement and the Department of Children and Family Services, victim advocates, forensic interviewers and mental health therapists, all under one roof. This model allows for all of these entities to collaborate while gathering information and collecting the evidence they need to prosecute those who harm children. 'I think sometimes there's a misconception that the goal is prosecution, and certainly that's important,' said LCCAC executive director Carrie Flanigan. 'Protecting young victims' mental and physical health is also hugely important in their journey to healing.' Flanigan said that work used to look much different. Before the LCCAC was founded in 1987, abused children had to tell their stories several times to different officials at police stations and hospitals. That not only further traumatized the child victims, but it also made the collection of evidence more difficult. 'Imagine a child, in a state of trauma, having to answer questions over and over,' Flanigan said. 'That story can look a bit different every time it's told, not because the child is lying but because of the way a question is asked. It could be leading.' At the advocacy center, a forensic interviewer speaks with the child victim in a private room equipped with a camera while the team is in another room watching the video feed and collecting evidence needed for their part in the case. They work collaboratively to decide what the next steps of the process are for each victim. 'Every discipline has their own leadership,' Flanigan said. 'There are a lot of people at the table who have years of experience in their field, with the common goal to protect the children.' But the center's staff isn't sitting on its laurels. There's more to do. An additional tool in the toolbox will be an on-site medical center that Flanigan says will be a game-changer. Through a partnership with Rosalind Franklin University and a $1 million state grant secured by state Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Deerfield, as seed money for the launch, the Rosalind Franklin University Children's Advocacy Center Medical Clinic will be the first such facility in the state that's approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health. 'We're pioneering this model,' said Jeff Espina, RFU's vice president of clinical services. Espina said he jumped at the opportunity to partner with the advocacy center's project because it falls in line with the university's mission to provide better healthcare to populations in need. He hopes other medical and learning institutions will see this as a blueprint. The on-site medical clinic is significant to the advocacy center's work because it will allow it to break a roadblock that's been keeping hundreds of children from potentially getting the treatment they need. Flanigan said officials can only make recommendations that a child gets taken to a hospital. It's up to their guardian to seek that medical care. According to the LCCAC's annual report, 587 sexual abuse cases were reported in 2023. Out of those, only 120 medical exams were tracked. There are several reasons why people might not seek medical care or a follow-up. The subject of sexual abuse is complicated, Espina said. In 2024, 70% of the cases the LCCAC saw were related to sexual abuse. Flanigan said that due to an Illinois law that states sexual assault victims are to be rendered medical forensic services, the default recommended hospitals have been those that have those types of services available all the time, and those are out of the county, such as Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. 'To have this immediate care for the victims here is monumental,' Flanigan said. Officials expect the medical clinic will be operating within weeks. Another change in the works is a move to a bigger space. LCCAC program director Sara Hammock said they are outgrowing the Gurnee building that currently houses the center. That project is still in its infancy, officials said. Parent support groups, art therapy and family resource events are part of the activity at the center. Most recently, the Blue Kids campaign was hosted there. The lineup of Blue Kids events across the county that are open to all residents includes: *April 11 — Art Impact Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods (Registration required). 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 21850 Riverwoods Road, Riverwoods. *April 11 — Avon Township, Community resource event. 10 a.m.-noon. 433 E. Washington St., Round Lake Park. *April 12 — Round Lake Beach Easter Egg Hunt. 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. 2004 Municipal Way, Round Lake Beach. *April 15 — Vernon Area Public Library. 4-6 p.m. 300 Olde Half Day Road, Lincolnshire. *April 16 — Family Night with Art Impact. Round Lake Beach. Civic Center (Registration required). 5:30-7:30 p.m. 2007 N. Civic Center Way, Round Lake Beach. *April 24 — Warren Newport PubLic Library. Book reading. 4:30-5:30 p.m. 224 O'Plaine Road, Gurnee. *April 24 — Mano A Mano. Healthy Families Program. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 6 E. Main St., Round Lake Park. *April 24 — Blu Violet Boutique. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 410 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Libertyville. *April 25 — Wintrust Banks, 8 Locations: Waukegan, Lake Forest, Wauconda, Barrington, Gurnee, Libertyville, Antioch, Grayslake. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. *April 26 — Lincolnshire Police Department, Family community event. 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. Olde Half Day Road, Lincolnshire.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Zachary man accused of molesting foster children found guilty
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A Zachary man accused of sexually abusing his foster children was found guilty during an April trial. Michael Hadden, 54, was convicted of charges including sexual battery, molestation of a juvenile and aggravated crime against nature. 'We are pleased with the effort by the jury's attention to the evidence in this case and the time they took in their deliberations. This case was complicated in many ways. Our courageous victims, were some of the most vulnerable in society and we are pleased with the verdict which was the just verdict not only for our survivors of these heinous acts but also for our community,' East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore said in a statement Wednesday. Hadden was arrested and charged in August 2022 after an investigation into alleged sexual assault involving three of his foster children. Court records show Hadden pleaded not guilty to charges in November 2022. An affidavit stated that a teen victim told a social worker that his foster parent sometimes made him 'feel uncomfortable' because 'inappropriate things happen.' A Department of Children and Family Services case worker told deputies that the victim and his two siblings were taken into state custody. Investigators learned that the victim had lived with Hadden from March 2017 to April 2022, except for some time in January 2021 when the victim was removed from the home by DCFS during another investigation. According to arrest documents, Hadden had previously been investigated by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office for sexual assault. East Feliciana jury convicts man of double homicide, attempted murder 5 takeaways from the Trump tariff drama Will Trump attend the Indy 500? 'Maybe this year' NASCAR drivers visit White House The Masters ends the 9-month wait for golf's most anticipated major Sam's Club plans to open 15 new locations a year, CEO says Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
3-year-old girl missing in connection with L.A. County custody case
Authorities asked the public for help Thursday in their search for 3-year-old Luluwa Estrada and her mother Christina Trujillo. The pair were last seen on March 25 at 11 a.m. on the 7100 block of Rosecrans Avenue in the city of Paramount, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department stated in a news release. Authorities described Luluwa as a 'critical missing child' involved in a child concealment incident. Trujillo, who is the girl's biological mother, failed to comply with a court order to relinquish custody of Luluwa to the Department of Children and Family Services, the Sheriff's Department said. Trujillo, 33, was described as a female Hispanic standing 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing about 135 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Luluwa is about 2 feet tall and weighs 30 pounds with light brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink pajama gown. Anyone with information was asked to call Detective Fujiwara or the on-duty Lakewood Station Watch Commander at 562-623-3500. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or go to the website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
