Thursday, April 13, 2017

UIS looks to recruit more child advocates

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The University of Illinois Springfield is working to recruit more students to help the most vulnerable.

The Sangamon County Child Advocacy Center officials said they see around five to seven kids a week suffering from child abuse.

During a UIS panel, students from the UIS child advocacy studies certification program discussed their experiences in this field. There were about a dozen agencies on hand to allow students to seek internships and possible employment in their offices.

CAST's (Child Advocacy Studies) clinical assistant professor Betsy Goulet told the students be prepared to do more with less funding. "I hoped by the time when I was at this point in my life we would have made greater strides," said Goulet.

CAST is one of three child advocacy programs in the country to earn approval from the national training center.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on April 12, 2017.

Watch the story online.