Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center

According to the 2005 National Exchange Club Foundation website, every year there are 3.25 million cases of child abuse investigated; of those, 1.1 million are indicated. Statewide, Iowa and Illinois gross over 300,000 child abuse hotline calls per year - each. In 2001, there were 1,482 confirmed reports of child abuse in the Bi state, Quad-Cities community. That same year, the Quad City Child and Family Resource Center (now Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center -MVCPC) was launched after three years of community planning to complement the multi-disciplinary, child protection response teams in Rock Island and Scott Counties, meeting an immediate need for local medical expertise in child abuse injury patterns. Despite the fact that the Quad Cities has 39 pediatricians, prior to the existence of the program, severely physically and/or sexually abused children were being sent 1.5 hours away to Cedar Rapids or Peoria for medical attention, or worse yet, not being sent at all due to lack of staff resources in child protection agencies. Dr. Barbara Harre, the current program pediatrician who helped spearhead the initiative, quit her private practice to partner with the program. In the first year alone, the program more than doubled the number of severely abused children seen by Dr. Harre independently. Every year of program existence has seen an increase in the number of abused children seen, with FY 04 generating comprehensive medical services to 131 and forensic interviews to 12.

Since launching the community initiative in 2001 as a courtesy under the Child Abuse Council, the program has experienced difficult challenges in financing, including losing initial state funding from both Iowa and Illinois in 2002 because of state revenue shortfalls. At that time, due to the importance of the service, the Child Abuse Council agreed to bring the the program into the agency, picking up the financial responsibility through layoffs, lean budgeting, and fundraising. Although simply providing the medical services was a huge challenge, the bigger vision always persevered  - a child protection center for Scott County. On 9-8-03, the QCC&FRC was awarded Associate Membership status by the National Children's Alliance (NCA), a national membership organization
for child advocacy/protection centers. Last year, the multidisciplinary child protection response team began conducting coordinated, on site child forensic interviews. In November 2004 the QCC&FRC was awarded funding from the Iowa Department of public Health, placing Davenport, Iowa, on the map as the 4th, Child Protection Center in the State of Iowa.

The purpose of Child Protection Centers is to provide a comprehensive, culturally competent, multidisciplinary team response to allegations of child abuse in a dedicated, child-friendly environment (NCA, 2005). The Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center of the Child Abuse Council is part of the multidisciplinary child protection response teams (CPRT) in Rock Island and Scott counties which are additionally comprised of law enforcement, prosecution, child protection (DHS/DCFS), and medical team members. (CPC) responses to child abuse allegations include services such as forensic interviews, comprehensive medical exams, therapeutic intervention, victim support/advocacy, case review, and case tracking. The goal is to have the team response coordinated at the CPC in order to provide a sense of safety, consistency and improved quality in the intervention with the child and family. All CPC components are offered or are in the process of being offered on the Iowa side (therapy, victim advocacy); only medical services are offered on the Illinois side due to the existence of the Rock Island County Children's Advocacy Center. Referrals for the program are ONLY accepted through a member of the CPRT or private physician.

The program has been recently renamed the Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center and will submit for full accreditation with NCA in May 2005.  Established medical services will continue for both Scott and Rock Island Counties, increased on-site forensic interviews for Scott County are forecasted, and a Family Advocate will be hired to assist child victims and their families. For further information, please contact Rebecca Harris, M.S. Ed, Director of Children's Trauma Services at (309) 757 1265.