Advocacy Network For Children celebrating 35th anniversary this year

QUINCY — Advocacy Network for Children is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. The agency opened its doors in January 1990 as CASA of Adams County. Its mission was to serve abused and neglected children in Adams County.

The CASA program uses trained community volunteers who then become the voice for a child in the court system. The agency has expanded its CASA program over the years and now has a CASA program in Brown, Cass, Hancock, Mason, Menard, Morgan, Pike, Schuyler and Scott counties. Thousands of children have been represented by trained CASA volunteers to date through one of the agency’s CASA programs.

Advocacy Network for Children opened its first Children’s Advocacy Center in Adams County in 1989. The agency has since opened centers in eight other counties — Brown, Cass, Hancock, McDonough, Morgan, Pike, Schuyler and Scott — to serve child victims of sexual or severe physical abuse.

Children’s Advocacy Centers use a team approach in the investigation and prosecution of sexual and severe physical abuse cases involving children. Team members include Children’s Advocacy Center staff, local law enforcement, state police, DCFS, state’s attorneys and mental health and medical personnel.

Advocacy Network for Children also provides a prevention program to children Pre-K through fifth grade. “P.S. It’s My Body” teaches children safety strategies and is designed to decrease children’s risk of being abused. Children learn to recognize welcome and unwelcome touches, practice saying “No” and moving away, and identify trusted adults they can report unwelcome touches to. Children are reminded that they have the right to say “No” and that abuse is never their fault. The program includes a teacher and parent component that provides safety tips, strategies for talking to children about personal safety and what to do if a child discloses abuse.

All services provided by Advocacy Network for Children are free. Staff is available at any time. For more information about Advocacy Network for Children, call the office at 217-223- 2272 or visit the agency’s website at www.advonet.org.