Help for our children: Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape's Vice President of Communications and Development, Kristen Houser spoke Nov. 21 at the Harrisburg Capitol Rotunda as part of the Protect Our Children Committee. The committee is urging the commonwealth to review how it protects children from abuse.
By MATTHEW KEMENY, The Patriot-News The Patriot-News
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/11/statewide_coalition_d...
A statewide coalition aimed at preventing child abuse will renew its call for a child protection and accountability commission during a press conference at 9 a.m. Monday at the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg.
Protect Our Children Committee wants a review of how the commonwealth protects children from abuse in hopes it would lead to statutory changes and practice reforms.
The topics POCC would like to see reviewed include: defining child abuse; strengthening mandatory reporting laws to ensure clarification about who is required to report, how reports are made and to establish a training requirement for those who are mandated; operations at ChildLine, the state child abuse hotline; improvements to the multiple paths to investigation and services; and increased accountability and transparency within the state’s child protection system.
The news comes a few weeks after a state grand jury indicted former Penn State football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky on 40 counts related to the sexual abuse of children. The indictment also charged two former Penn State administrators, accusing them of failing to report Sandusky’s alleged crimes to law enforcement.
