Illinois State Senate District 56 issued the following announcement on April 3.
In recognition of April being National Child Abuse Prevention Month, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) wants to remind residents of resources and services available to people experiencing domestic violence or living in fear of it.
“With more people working from home and children not being in school during the COVID-19 pandemic, its critical for everyone to feel safe,” Crowe said. “State officials have prioritized funding these essential emergency services, ensuring access and availability to programs to help domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.”
On Thursday, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced it is launching a $1.2 million plan to increase the capacity of its current statewide network of services for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The plan expands the role of the Domestic Violence Helpline by creating a one-stop access point for shelter needs. Survivors may call the helpline directly at 1-877-863-6338 and be connected to shelters through existing Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention (DVPI) shelter services or to emergency shelter through available hotels and motels.
Original source can be found here.