[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 39 (Wednesday, April 13, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          MAKING A DIFFERENCE

 Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, I would like to commend Child Abuse 
Prevention Services of Chicago, IL, for its outstanding commitment to 
the children of the Chicago area.
  Since its establishment in 1974, Child Abuse Prevention Services has 
been dedicated to reducing the incidence of child abuse in the Chicago 
metropolitan area.
  On Tuesday, April 19, Child Abuse Prevention Services is celebrating 
its 20th anniversary.
  CAPS strives to reduce the incidence of child abuse in the Chicago 
metropolitan area through education for at-risk families. Its programs 
include support groups for parents and children, a 24-hour hotline, 
parental training classes and education classes for educators, social 
workers, medical personnel, parents, adolescents, and children.
  In 1974 CAPS was founded by a small group of parents who were 
concerned about the scarcity of support for distressed parents in the 
Chicago area. Originally formed as Citizens Committee for Battered 
Children, at its core is the conviction that child abuse could be 
prevented by helping parents develop constructive relationships with 
their children.
  In its first year, Child Abuse Prevention Services established a 
hotline for parents with questions and concerns about parenting and a 
parent support group. Seventeen volunteers handled thirty calls per 
month from troubled parents. In 3 short years CAPS grew fivefold. By 
1977, 8 staff members and 95 volunteers administered support groups 
throughout the city of Chicago and suburbs. The hotline received 300 
calls per month.
  CAPS has continued to grow. Currently an 18-member staff and 125 
trained volunteers provide child abuse prevention services, including 
support groups, parent training classes, and a children's sexual abuse 
prevention program to approximately 7,000 families per year.
  CAPS' significant contributions to the improvement of the welfare of 
children have not gone unnoticed. In 1983, the Beatrice Foundation 
presented CAPS with the foundation's first Excellence Award ``for 
outstanding achievement and improvement in nonprofit management.'' On 
November 5, 1987, CAPS' representatives traveled to Washington, DC to 
be presented personally by President Reagan the President's Child 
Safety Partnership Award ``for exemplary, innovative and successful 
efforts and achievements in combatting child victimization.'' Other 
awards conferred on CAPS include the Voluntary Action Award in 1984 
``for outstanding achievement in effectively and creatively involving 
volunteers to meet community needs;'' the Helen Cody Baker Award in 
1985 and 1986 ``in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the 
understanding of the medical and social welfare services in 
metropolitan Chicago,'' and a recipient of the WBBM Wreath of Hope 
Campaign in 1988.

  Corporations and foundations alike realize the importance of the 
services CAPS provides. More then 85 percent of the funding CAPS 
receives is contributed by individuals, corporations, and private 
foundations as well as the United Way.
  This year, as the agency celebrates its 20th anniversary, CAPS enjoys 
the support of Azteca Foods, Coopers & Lybrand, AT&T, Marshall Field's, 
Tatham Euro RSGC, LaSalle Construction, Sargent & Lundy, Caremark 
International Inc., Washington, Pittman & McKeever, CNA Financial 
Corp., and Harris Bank. The Chicago Tribune also has made a significant 
contribution to child abuse prevention awareness with its year-long 
series ``Killing Our Children,'' throughout 1993.
  I would especially like to recognize Jack Fuller, president and CEO 
of the Tribune for this exceptional series of articles. As a result of 
his dedication, readers throughout Illinois learned about the desperate 
need to protect our children. While the focus of this coverage was the 
abuse and murder of children in Chicago, this issue is of such national 
importance, that I frequently inserted articles from this series into 
the Congressional Record, for the benefit of my colleagues.
  Mr. Fuller, along with Sam DiPiazza, managing partner of the Chicago 
Cluster of Coopers & Lybrand, who has successfully led a campaign to 
increase the level of corporate and civic support for CAPS, garnering 
patronage by other corporate and civic leaders in the Chicago area, 
merit special recognition.
  CAPS looks toward the future, and continues to expand its resources 
and programming to meet the swelling needs of child abuse prevention in 
the Chicago metropolitan area.
  Thank you, Child Abuse Prevention Services, for all the children and 
families whose welfare has been immeasurably improved by your endeavors 
and for continuing to improve the awareness of child abuse prevention 
in a noble effort to keep our most precious resource, children, 
unharmed and unmolested by those who they depend on for care.
  Mr. SIMPSON. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The remarks of Mr. Simpson pertaining to the introduction of S. 2015 
are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills 
and Joint Resolutions.'')

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