Calls to DCFS Increasing Again After Falling Off During the Early Days of the Pandemic

Illinois Senate lawmakers are getting an update on how the State Department of Children and Family Services is handling abuse cases during the pandemic. The DCFS Call Center, which handles calls to the Child Abuse Hotline is being run remotely by employees. Call volume dropped 52 percent in April as COVID-19 gained steam, and less mandated reporters such as teachers were around students to notice any problems. Gayle Hopper runs the program and says as calls are again increasing, the number of investigations they are conducting are rising as well. She told a Senate Committee that DCFS has also launched the “You Are Not Alone” campaign, urging kids to reach out if they need help. There is also a new online form to report suspected cases of abuse or neglect.