I wish all of you could spend a week here at the office. You would hear heart wrenching stories, of course, but you would also hear and see our staff and wonderful young interns interacting with protective parents whose children are being abused. These parents are in terrible distress and usually they find Justice for Children after trying all other points in the child protective systems and have been rejected at every turn.

We listen.
 
When a family member assaults a child (in sexual abuse cases, this is 85% of the cases), law enforcement may or may not be called and CPS may or may not be called. In any case, CPS usually gets the case because the system is geared to pass sexual assault cases by family members to CPS.  Sexual assault is a crime and should be dealt with by law enforcement. The parents who call us know this but they have been told that because there is no physical evidence - there rarely is - and that the child's outcry is the only evidence, CPS can do nothing. They won't even listen.
 
Every day this is what we hear..."Thank God for Justice for Children. You are the first person to listen to me.  Before I got to you I thought my child was doomed but now I have hope. Thank you. No one else would even take the time to hear what I have to say.  God bless you."
 
And I would add - God bless you - our supporters.
 
 - Jim Shields, Executive Director of JFC