Dear Friends,

Happy Fall! The seasons are changing and we are settling into our new routines of school, work, and play. Here at PCA Illinois we are excited to hold our Annual Statewide Conference next week in person! What a change. It will be great to network with colleagues and share the challenges and successes we’ve experienced over the past few years. We are honored to be presenting the Friend of Children Award at our conference this year to our former Executive Director, Roy Harley. Roy is a stalwart champion of children and families and contributed immensely to establishing prevention initiatives across Illinois in his 36 + years in child welfare services. Congratulations Roy!

We are also honored to recognize our national organization, Prevent Child Abuse America, as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary. PCA America supports chapters in every state, creating a nationwide network of organizations dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect. Over the past 50 years they have been instrumental in establishing programs, sponsoring legislation, and creating awareness of this critical issue, as well as building supports for positive outcomes for families. Click here to learn more about their mission and their 50 years of progress.

As always, thank you for the hard work you do and for partnering with us in caring for the children of Illinois.

Sincerely,




Denise McCaffrey
Executive Director
Prevent Child Abuse Illinois
PCA Illinois staff and board are proud to welcome our newest staff member to the team, Rachel Brenningmeyer! Rachel is taking over the Southern Region Prevention Specialist position, where her experience with teaching and counseling children will serve her well.

During her time with PCA Illinois, Rachel hopes to partner with local organizations and agencies to bring Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) trainings to the state.

Rachel's overall goal for her position is to "continue serving Southern Illinois and to do what I can to help our community protect and love our children well!"

To contact Rachel, email her at rbrenningmeyer@pcaillinois.org
Recently, the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee unanimously voted to advance the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act. This success is due to the advocacy efforts of many local, state, and national organizations throughout this past year! Thank you! For more information on the legislation, see the press release, a summary of the legislation and the full bill. 

Now we need to keep the momentum going and see this bill across the finish line. Please continue to contact your Members of Congress and ask them to support this legislation and make MIECHV reauthorization a priority.

To learn more CLICK HERE or download the MIECHV Resource.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Research shows that domestic violence often goes hand in hand with child abuse and neglect. Check out the resources below for more information about Domestic Violence and the impact it has on children.
This quarter we wanted to take a closer look at our Domestic Violence and Children program.

PCA Illinois can provide an Effects of Domestic Violence on Children training for your organization, in-person or virtually. Click here to contact our staff and schedule a training today.

Our agency has two Domestic Violence literature options available to the public for free: the "Effects of Domestic Violence" brochure and the newer "Domestic Violence and Children" parenting slick. Click here to see samples of all of our literature and to order.
Our mission at PCA Illinois is to prevent child abuse by providing statewide leadership through education, public awareness, support for community initiatives, and advocacy. One way we accomplish this is through community partnerships.

PCA Illinois is a member of Raising Illinois, a collective effort to close the opportunity gap for our earliest learners. Raising Illinois is a partnership of diverse individuals and organizations across Illinois committed to supporting our youngest generation by ensuring families can access high-quality health care, engage in quality learning experiences and establish economic security.
Raising Illinois
If you're interested in learning more or joining the partnership,
Upcoming Webinars and Events
Click the title of each webinar/event below to register!

October 13th & 14th | 9 am - 4:30 pm & 8:30 am - 1 pm
** Yes, this conference is next week -- but it's not too late to register! **

Tuesday, October 18th | 9:30 am - 12 pm
** This webinar is open to the public, but will focus on collaborating within the Central Illinois Region and our work to establish local DEC Alliances **

Wednesday, October 19th | 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Save the Dates
Registration for these webinars will open soon. Watch your email for an announcement!

Youth Sexual Exploitation & Human Trafficking: Part 4
Tuesday, November 1st | 9:30 am - 12 pm

Poverty: Cycles of Risk
Wednesday, November 9th | 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm