WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema partnered with Republican Senator Susan Collins (Maine) to introduce bipartisan legislation authorizing federal funding to support a National Child Crisis Hotline.
“Funding a National Child Crisis Hotline is critical for prevention efforts and supporting survivors of child abuse, especially during a pandemic which has increased the demand on family and child resources,” said Sinema.
Sinema’s legislation authorizes the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to grant $1 million to a nonprofit entity with appropriate experience to support the ongoing operation of the hotline. Childhelp, headquartered in Phoenix, is an example of a national nonprofit that could apply for the funding to support the expansion of their Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline.
The National Child Abuse Hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it reported a 439% increase in texts/online chat in March (compared to the same month last year) and a 20% increase in calls in April. Calls can come from children at risk for abuse, distressed parents seeking crisis intervention, and concerned individuals who suspect child abuse. The hotline receives about 100,000 calls a year and 1,000 text conversations a month. Childhelp is the only major national hotline staffed primarily by masters-level social workers who are trained to provide crisis counseling to minors facing abuse.
Sinema’s Arizona offices fully operate with a team of experienced social workers trained to assist Arizonans facing hardship. Arizonans in need of help should email casework@sinema.senate.gov.
Sinema also has a resources page on her website, www.sinema.senate.gov/corona, for Arizonans looking for updated information in English and Spanish on the coronavirus.
