On a windy Tuesday evening, citizens of the City of Crown Point took a stand against child abuse at the 4th Annual Candlelight Vigil hosted by three different organizations to raise awareness during Child Abuse Prevention Month and to continue their fight to prevent and end child abuse in Lake County.
Outside of the Old Crown Point Courthouse, representatives from the Indiana Department of Child Services of Lake County, GeminusCommunity Partners, and Lake County CASA welcomed people from around the city to a Candlelight Vigil to honor victims of child abuse.
“We’re here today to honor those who have lost their lives to child abuse,” said Nicholas Neal, Director of Family Services for Geminus. “And the reason we do this in April is because April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, so we have events like this to get the word out about preventing child abuse.”
The state of Indiana has the second highest rates of child abuse in the country, with Lake County having the highest number of reported cases each year in the state. In 2016, Lake County had over 2,000 reported cases of child abuse, which is a staggering number. That statistic may seem frightening, but what it really means is that victims are reporting abuse and the steps being taken towards preventing the abuse in the first place are already having a tremendous affect.
“We want to get the word out that there are services here that keep children and smiles safe and together,” Neal said. “We want people to know that there are resources available to them. Our goal is to prevent Child Services from becoming involved by preventing the abuse from happening at all.”
Geminus Community Partners is a branch the Geminus Corporation and is dedicated to providing services for families who need them the most, all in the effort to prevent child abuse before it starts.
“Whereas DCS intervenes, we’re there to keep that from happening by doing some prevention for the family by meeting any needs they may have,” said Darnitha Woods, Project Manager for Geminus Community Partners. “Whether it’s housing, employment, finding them a stable place to go if they don’t have anywhere to go, or in-home counseling, it’s all free of charge of all home based for the families of Lake County.”
While Geminus Community Partners works hard to provide the necessary services for the families of Lake County in an effort to prevent child abuse, in some cases the Department of Child Services is needed.
“Often in a community, especially in one where everyone knows everyone, we often allow our relationships to cloud our judgment in some cases,” explained Ellis G Dumas III, Regional Manager for the Indiana Department of Child Services of Lake County. “People will say, ’Oh, they seem like great people, they wouldn’t abuse their children.’ But come to find out, there is a lot of abuse and neglect that occurs. That’s why we try to educate and stress the importance of reporting. It’s about child safety and well-being.”
When the vigil began, Neal made some opening remarks and then welcomed each speaker to the podium. A few of the speakers who made their way to Crown Point for the vigil were Judge Gina Jones of the Merrillville Town Court, Senator Eddie Melton, and U.S. State Representative Julie Olthoff, who helped passed a bill during the last session that requires K-12 schools in Indiana to provide age appropriate and research based education.
“The bill will teach kids what’s right, what’s wrong, and when they should say something,” Olthoff said. “So many people suffer in silence and they don’t know if there’s a path out. So that’s what we’re hoping to gain through this bill.”
Once all of the speeches concluded, a moment of silence led by Pastor Todd Matchett of the Living Hope Church was held honoring the lives lost to child abuse. Inside the courthouse in the Maki Ballroom, food and refreshments were provided for all who attended the vigil, with each table decorated with the national symbol of child abuse prevention: a blue and silver pinwheel.
The Candlelight Vigil Tuesday evening honored those whose lives have been lost, but it also provided hope for anyone who may be struggling in silence. And while putting an end to child abuse may be far in the future, the dedicated staffs of each organization, body of government, and community of Lake County are working hard to make sure that future is possible.
For more information about Geminus Community Partners, go to http://www.geminus.org/About-Us-GCP.html. If you know of a child who is being abused, please go to http://www.in.gov/dcs/3085.htm or call 1-800-800-5556.