What Illinois' Stay-At-Home Order Means for Reporting Child Abuse

ST. CHARLES, IL — Among the numerous adjustments to public life, conditions under the stay-at-home order in Illinois mean that educators — who often are the front-line "mandatory reporters" when it comes to child abuse cases — are no longer present to detect the signs of abuse in their students. With classes shifting online and schools statewide shutdown, the responsibility now falls on area parents and community members to step up to protect children and report possible abuse, said Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon in a statement in recent weeks.

McMahon said ongoing pandemic conditions have created "significant challenges for those children that are in abusive situations at home."

"We ask those in the community – parents, friends and classmates – to be vigilant in ensuring that all children are safe," McMahon said in the statement. He added that while Gov. J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order "makes this difficult... there are still things we can do."

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The state's attorney's office has provided some tips for "things we can do:"

• Be a supportive community member who recognize that the coronavirus outbreak is stressful for families, and offer support while observing social distancing and other safety measures
• Share the Illinois DCFS hotline number – 1-800-25-ABUSE – with friends and family through text, phone calls and social media
• Parents can ask their children if they have checked in with friends and classmates. Allow children to express if they have concerns about their friends. Be responsive to those remarks without overreacting
• Parents should be watchful while children are participating in online educational platforms to see if any of the children online have cuts or bruises, or appear disheveled
• Neighborhood children outside may seem disengaged, lonely or present physical evidence of abuse. If you note these red flags, safely engage in a conversation, ask if the child needs anything, if they are hungry, if they feel OK and safe, and how school is going

McMahon notes that the topic of child abuse could be an extremely sensitive subject to approach. But he added that since we do not have a "network of school advocates and watchdogs," we should all be taking on these roles.

"Anyone can make a good faith report," McMahon said. "If you see something, say something."

If you have reasonable suspicion that child abuse may be occurring, you should call 1-800-25-ABUSE.

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