Bill would create permanent Office of Child Advocate in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA) - April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, but some say Pennsylvania isn't doing everything it can to protect children. 

Child advocate Bree Hood says she was abused in a facility that was supposed to help her. 

"I suffered through severe mental health, such as PTSD, bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, anger management and thoughts of suicide," Hood said. 

Duane Price has a similar story. 

"My voice was taken away from me since I was young. I was ignored, censored or shut down," Price said. 

They're sharing their stories at the start of Child Abuse Prevention Month. A new bill would create a permanent Office of Child Advocate. State Rep. Christina Sappey is the sponsor. 

Frank Cervone, the executive director of Support Center for Child Advocates pointed to New Jersey, Michigan and Colorado as leading examples, saying when a child is abused in a group home, there's an independent investigation and somebody is following up about that complaint, "coming out to the scene, doing interviews, checking videotapes, talking to other kids."

Cervone said conflicts of interest can sometimes prevent truly independent investigations in Pennsylvania. 

"We hear all the time that staff have been hearing about these complaints for days or weeks or months and not acting, so you stop and you say: what was keeping that staff from moving forward on that complaint?" Cervone said. 

Commonwealth Child Advocate Maryann McEvoy said the bill has 21 sponsors.

"There are no Republicans on it, which, you know, I hope they'll take another look at this and realize how important it is," McEvoy said. 

KDKA-TV reached out to House Republican leaders to find out if they have any concerns about the bill but didn't hear back by airtime. Democrats control the House and wouldn't need any Republican votes there. Republicans control the Senate, and Republicans in that chamber put out a statement on Monday saying they do support the idea.