A Letter from Interim Director Paul DiLorenzo

Dear friends,
 
In order to comply with Governor Wolf’s order to shutdown non-life-sustaining operations, PCA has had to curtail some of its operations. Our new protocol responds to the emergency cases referred to us by the Philadelphia Police Special Victims Unit and the Philadelphia Department of Human Services. Our goal is to ensure child safety and well-being, and also to reduce any health risks to our PCA team members as well as the broader community in which they all live.  
 
We are continuing to work on cases that are already in our system, and have significantly upgraded our technology so that we can stay in contact with kids and families, and continue to provide valuable counseling services. The only new cases we will see include sexual abuse or assaults that have occurred within the last 72 hours; incidences where there is an alleged perpetrator in custody; child abductions; and child witness to homicide.
 
These changes in how we see and take care of our clients is challenging for families, for our staff, and no doubt for all of you. We remain committed to our mission and our values and will do all that we can to make sure we do our part towards keeping kids and their families, as well as our team, safe and healthy. We absolutely want you to remain in touch as we go forward. 

Thanks for the partnership and your support. 
My best,
Paul DiLorenzo, ACSW, MLSP
Interim Executive Director

RESOURCES

1. PCA’s guidance for the community on helping to protect children from abuse during times of social distancing and school closures

2. PCA’s guidance for professionals in Child Advocacy Centers regarding a time of increased vulnerability for children

3. Tips for parents and caregivers from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network on how to cope with and prepare for a disease outbreak

4. The City of Philadelphia’s guide to the children’s crisis system and accessing help during a behavioral health crisis

5. Access 24-hour crisis hotlines such as suicide prevention and domestic violence as well as information about food access, utilities, evictions and other issues during the Covid-19 pandemic at www.communityresourceconnects.org

6. Collection of resources for immigrant families with children with topics ranging from food assistance to legal resources, and more here

Philadelphia Activities

during Shutdown

Fun things to do while everything’s closed during the coronavirus outbreak

Parent guide: Resources to keep kids busy (and learning!) during Philly’s COVID shutdown

Finding fun in quarantined Philly: Neighborhoods band together to create ‘rainbow hunts’ for kids

important contact information

If you think you're experiencing a life-threatening or severe emergency, call 911 or go directly to the Emergency Department otherwise use the following phone numbers to report an incident:

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Child Abuse Hotlines

PENNSYLVANIA: 1-800-932-0313

NEW JERSEY: 1-877-652-2873

DELAWARE: 1-800-292-9582

Contact PCA