Prevent Child Abuse Georgia Relaunches Statewide Helpline
Atlanta, Georgia (PRWEB) March 28, 2014 -- Prevent Child Abuse Georgia (PCA Georgia), housed in the Center for Healthy Development at the Georgia State University School of Public Health, today announced the return of a referral line for Georgians concerned about the healthy development of children and the prevention of child abuse and neglect: 1-800-Children. With the generous support of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, PCA Georgia will relaunch this free resource, which had shut down in 2011. The line is operational beginning February 26, 2014.
The 1-800-Children Helpline is professionally staffed by operators from Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia and will operate Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Unlike the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) statewide centralized intake number, the Helpline is not a number to call in crisis or when making a report of child abuse or neglect. Rather, operators will be available to provide information regarding parenting support, community resources, counseling services, referrals for legal needs, concern about the well-being of a child or family member, family violence, and other child maltreatment prevention issues.
“Families and professionals across Georgia will once again have a resource to turn to when seeking information about issues surrounding child abuse and neglect,” said Julia Neighbors, Director of PCA Georgia. “We are grateful for the role that communities across the state have played in bringing back the Helpline, and to the Blank Foundation for their generous support.”
PCA Georgia is a state chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. The organization provides statewide direction to prevent child abuse and neglect, promote healthy children, and develop strong families through its prevention network, public awareness, prevention programs, and advocacy. It is supported in part by the Governor’s Office for Children and Families through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CFDA 93.590).
To learn more about Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, visit http://www.preventchildabusega.org/. If your agency or organization would like to be included in the Helpline Resource and Referral Database, contact Julia Neighbors at 404-413-1419 or jneighbors(at)gsu(dot)edu.
Leah Seupersad, Georgia State University, +1 404-413-1354, [email protected]
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