FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 11, 2016

CONTACT: Bonnie Fries, Director

708-338-3806 ext 5599
bonnie.fries@presenceheath.org

PROVISO CHILDRENS ADVOCACY CENTER GOES BLUE

FOR CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH
Child Advocates Launch Awareness Campaign for Child Abuse Victims in Illinois

Riverside Police Support 2016 Blue Bow Campaign

(Broadview, IL) Proviso Childrens Advocacy Center and other child advocates in

the community joined today at the PCAC to pledge their support for the 2016 Blue
Bow Campaign. The Blue Bow Breakfast held on April 8th at the Center was a kickoff to month-long events designed to create awareness about child abuse.
The month of April is an important
time for our CAC to spread awareness
of how child abuse impacts all families
and all communities. Since 1992 the
Proviso Childrens Advocacy Center has
assisted in over 4,700 reports of child
abuse, most of those due to
allegations of child sexual abuse, said
Bonnie Fries, the Director of the
Proviso CAC.
All child abuse is
preventable so the Blue Bow Campaign
is just one way we can show our
support and shed a spotlight on those
children brave enough to disclose
abuse and a potential future for
children to remain free from abuse.
Dozens of blue bows have been tied on
the trees and surrounding structures
of community agencies to commit
their support to the cause including:

Bellwood Police Department, Berkeley Police Department, Berwyn Police

Department, Broadview Police Department, Brookfield Police Department, Cicero
Police Department, Elmwood Park Police Department, Franklin Park Police
Department, LaGrange Park Police Department, Melrose Park Police Department,
Northlake Police Department, North Riverside Police Department, Riverside Police
Department, River Forest Police Department, River Grove Police Department,
Stone Park Police Department, and MacNeal Hospital.
Child Abuse Prevention Month activities will be held throughout the state during
the month of April.
Visit childrenshomeandaid.org/bluebow or
www.preventchildabuseillinois.org for a list of statewide events and for
information on parent support programs.
Photo:

(L to R), RPD Lt. Bill Gutschick and Bonnie Fries, LCSW, Director Proviso Childrens
Advocacy Center

###

About the Blue Bow Campaign

Since 1989, the national Blue Bow Campaign has existed to raise awareness of child abuse and
prevention. The Illinois Blue Bow Committee, run by [organization name] and a partnership of social and
community service organizations, has annually hosted dozens of events throughout the month of April
the nations Child Abuse Prevention Month. The purpose of these events is to bring attention to the
enormity of child abuse in Illinois and to educate the public about resources available in our
communities to help parents and children prevent abuse. In Illinois in fiscal year 2015 alone, there were
30,382 unduplicated, confirmed children who were abused or neglected. Some of these children had
more than one instance of abuse or neglectso the total number of instances was 33,227. These cases
occurred in 17,794 families. For more information on the Blue Bow Campaign and how prevention can
help, please visit http://www.childrenshomeandaid.org/bluebow.
About Proviso Childrens Advocacy Center
Proviso CAC is a program of Presence Behavioral Health. The program serves as a resource for children
that have been victims of sexual and severe physical abuse and their caregivers. Services include crisis
intervention, forensic interviews, personal, medical and court advocacy, support groups, and community
outreach and education. All services are free. More information on the Proviso CAC can be found at our
website:
http://www.presencehealth.org/medical-services-behavioral-health-proviso-childrensadvocacy-center