Connecting to the Community: With Judge Pratt

Churches in the 46808 Neighborhood gathered together tonight at First Mennonite Church to meet with Judge Charles Pratt. He was joined by his assistant Kate Rusher, the Assistant Chief Juvenile Probation Officer at Allen Superior Court.

Here's an overview of some of the material Judge Pratt shared with us in regard to reporting child abuse and neglect:
First: is the child under the age of 18?
Second: which of these in the "general neglect category" apply -
* Food
* Clothing
* Shelter
* Supervision
* Medical Care
* Education

Third: Does the neglect have a corresponding serious harm to the child?
Fourth: Has your congregation's offer to help or help from other agencies been ignored or refused?
Fifth: Has there been an act - or a failure to act - that resulted in injury (an injury that is not typical given the age, the place of the injury, and the extent of it)?
Sixth: Has there been injuries from an act of domestic violence (or has the child been exposed to domestic violence)?

When reporting, be sure to:
* Give specific conditions of the home if you deem it to be unsafe
* Articulate clearly the circumstances that you deem to of serious harm (untreated medical care, failure to provide food, inadequate shelter, children left alone, etc.)
* Call the child abuse and neglect hotline as soon as you have compiled your information: 1-800-800-5556. If you think the child is in immediate danger, call your local police.

Possible victims of sex offenses:
If the child provides you with facts that he or she has been sexually victimized, then do the following:
* Make notes for your later recollection about the child's comments.
* Do not ask the child questions. There is protocol for interviewing the children that requires an expert to complete
* Contact the police and the hotline.
* Assure the child that you are acting to protect him or her.
* Remember that the child - regardless of his or her participation in the abuse - is a victim.

As our churches become more involved in the neighborhood, and as we come alongside more families, we are seeing more children in dire circumstances. The question arises: what's the best way to serve the children and their families? And: how can we best partner with the court system to better serve those involved in abuse and neglect cases? This is how we subvert the powers of injustice.

Jesus commanded his disciples to go preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick. This is motivation for us to meet with Judge Pratt and collaborate with him in better caring for our neighbors. We are a community of churches that want to make our neighborhood a better place to live, in the name of Jesus.

We met with Judge Pratt and Kate Rusher last year - over a period of four weeks they introduced us to the court system from the perspective of children, youth, and adults. They also helped us connect with available resources like Great Communities Make Great Kids, the YWCA: Domestic Violence Services, CASA: Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, and others.

This year we wanted to follow up with Judge Pratt and Kate Rusher and learn more about CHINS (Children In Need of Services). Next week we will meet with Megan Kelly who directs Great Communities Make Great Kids - and will do a presentation on the 40 Developmental Assets that church communities can best offer to kids and youth. The following week we'll meet with Jocelyn Smith of Rising Stars, and then the final week we'll meet with Wallace Butts of the Fort Wayne Fatherhood Coalition.