Philadelphia Child Advocates Pitch For Funding For Abuse Victims
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - State and local lawmakers were among those who heard from experts this morning on the issue of child sexual abuse in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Children's Alliance has been in place since 1990, helping victims of child abuse in Philadelphia heal as justice is sought.
Chris Kirchner, executive director of the nonprofit, says today's event was organized to show lawmakers and others the important work that is being done.
"We wanted to make sure that they were aware of our services," she said. "We are hoping they will support us moving forward, obviously. We get about half our budget from the public sector. We want to maintain that money in what looks to be some really complicated budget times coming up.
"We also wanted them to know that we exist as a resource," she added, 'that they are able to refer constituents who may have questions, who may have concerns or issues in their lives related to the issue of child sexual abuse."
Kirchner says there are more than 140 reported child sexual abuse cases per month in Philadelphia. She says the Philadelphia Children's Alliance was able to serve 70 victims last month.
Reported by John McDevitt, KYW Newsradio 1060.
