IMPACT Van Zandt : Taking ACTION to end child abuse
April is right around the corner and for 20 years Sandy Hilliard, President of the Child Welfare Board has been a driving force behind the mission to end child abuse and neglect in Van Zandt County.
Unfortunately, Hilliard, her board of directors and countless numbers of volunteers and family resource groups in the area have been fighting an uphill battle.
How serious is the problem? Out of 254 counties in Texas, Van Zandt County ranks in the top 15 percent in terms of children who have been removed from their home due to child abuse and neglect.
Statistics in our county are not good as it relates to cases involving child abuse and neglect. Recognizing this growing trend, representatives from the Child Welfare Board, Department of Family Protective Services, Children’s Advocacy Center, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates,) law enforcement, elected officials and a long list of concerned citizens gathered in the fall of 2016 to come up with a collective solution to tackle this problem. IMPACT Van Zandt was the result of their efforts.
Led largely by Sandy Hilliard, Child Welfare Board President and CASA Representatives, the IMPACT team was able to distribute the workload to accomplish its aggressive plans to meet their deadlines. CASA volunteer and IMPACT Van Zandt member Janiece McClendon created the website www.Impactvanzandt.org to house these family resources. The site also provides information on reporting child abuse, ways to get involved and has a place to make donations. Others including Dana Harader with CAC have stepped up and taken on expanded roles. There are many others involved on the IMPACT team and their hard work and passion for the kids of Van Zandt County is evident in everything they are doing.
