Arizona department highlights program targeting child abuse prevention

PHOENIX — April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Arizona Department of Child Safety has a program in place working to do just that.

It’s called Healthy Families Arizona. The program assists children with obtaining health screenings and immunizations and trains new moms and dads on how to become parents.

“Getting them to understand parenting when they’re expectant parents or just new parents, that’s a big job in it of itself,” said Greg McKay, director of the Arizona Department of Child Safety.

He said some in the program are dealing with poverty and drug addiction. Drug treatment and counseling is also available through the program. McKay said so far, the program is yielding positive results.

“We serve close to 5,000 families (through the program) in Arizona,” McKay said. “Ninety-six percent of those enrolled had no substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect to follow, which is an excellent record.”

McKay added 90 percent of children received timely development screenings in their first year of life through the program.

Of the 95 percent of families that received substance abuse screenings, only 5.6 percent reported drug problems the following year.

“That’s a big win for us,” McKay said. “That is diverting people from coming into this system and that’s ultimately what we want.”

McKay did stress there are still many child abuse cases in Arizona.

“Our hotline receives 135,000 calls in a year,” McKay said. “And of those 51,000 become full investigations of abuse or neglect.”

You can report child abuse in your neighborhood by calling 1-888-SOS-CHILD. McKay also encourages people to help build up communities and families facing challenges to help prevent child abuse.

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