Pittsfield Puts Focus on Child AbuseBy Jen Thomas
iBerkshires Staff
12:15PM / Monday, April 28, 2008
 | Berkshire District Attorney David E. Capeless talks about child-abuse prevention.
View Slide Show |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Seventy-seven pairs of New Balance sneakers lined the steps of City Hall on Friday afternoon, a visual indicator of the average number of children confirmed as abused or neglected in the county in one month.
Local lawmakers joined representatives from area child abuse prevention agencies — including Child Care of the Berkshires and the Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund — in recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
"Seventy-seven reported cases on a monthly basis is 924 incidents of reports of child abuse in Berkshire County in one year. And those statistics mean lives of young children, affected each and every day in our community," said Mayor James Ruberto.
Called "Steps of Hope," the ceremony sought to bring public awareness to a problem that is the leading cause of death for children under age 4 nationwide and to emphasize that child abuse and neglect can be prevented.
"Today is a day of hope. According to the Department of Social Services, there are approximately 35,000 cases annually here in Massachusetts of child abuse and neglect. Now, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, that puts Massachusetts No. 3 in the nation for confirmed cases, which would be twice the average. Where is the hope in that?" said District Attorney David F. Capeless.
The state also has the fourth highest rate of reported child abuse and neglect. According to Capeless, these high statistics show that the state has put this issue as a priority and set up a system to not only hear reports but to investigate them.
"We have here a very strong system for people to report and for us to investigate and also to prosecute cases where there has been child abuse," said Capeless. "There is the hope for us because we have a system here."
Last year, 87 pairs of shoes — 10 more than this year — lined the stairs for the "Steps of Hope" ceremony. That reduction is an accomplishment state Rep. Daniel Bosley, D-North Adams, hopes can be repeated next year.
"It is very encouraging that we have 10 less pairs of shoes here in Berkshire County than we did last year. Maybe we can reduce it by 10 next year, maybe by more every year," said Bosley.
Eloise Stevens, the executive director of Berkshire County Head Start, called for more both personal and community support in helping parents care for their children.
"We must listen to children when they tell us they've been hurt by someone. We must support parents in their difficult role and we must do what we have to until there are no more shoes on the steps," Stevens said.
During the ceremony, several young children stormed the steps, playing with the balloons near the podium or posing for pictures.
"This is the perfect example of how difficult it is to be a parent," joked Suzin Bartley, the executive director of CTF and the day's unofficial master of ceremonies.
Diana Goldmann, 20, of North Adams, spoke to the audience about the fear she had about being a teenaged mother when her son Troy, now 2, was born.
"I didn't know anything about babies or being a parent," Goldmann said.
Healthy Families, an operation of Child Care of the Berkshires, got her through the tough times, Goldmann said, with their at-home visits and their around-the-clock support system.
"It's just a lot of support for a young mom. I couldn't live without having that person there to ask questions of," said Goldmann.
For Bosley, ensuring that the county's family support programs continue to help change lives is a priority.
"These programs are very near and dear to those of us in the Legislature because it goes back to the core functions of what government is supposed to do for people," said Bosley.
Bosley quoted former Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who said "The moral test of a government is how it treats those who are at the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those who are in the shadow of life, the sick, the needy, and the handicapped."
"Children are the core function of government," said Bosley. |
