ABUSE STATS SPARK CLASSES

By Jeannie Nugent/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF

The statistics show a county in crisis, and it’s growing. Jefferson County currently has 300 open cases of child abuse or neglect, 175 of the area’s children are in foster care and two infants have been murdered, allegedly at the hands of their adult caregivers within the last six months.

It was the urgency of the situation that prompted two local advocacy groups — ACCESS Inc. and LEAPS Initiatives LLC — to join forces to give the teenage mothers they serve the tools to prevent child abuse or neglect. The organizations held the first of a series of three-hour workshops on Friday that offered an agenda packed with experts from such organizations like the Fresh Start Program, Department of Human Services, Parents Anonymous, Voices for Children, and CASA Women’s Shelter.

“In Pine Bluff and Jefferson County the need is so paramount that it takes an ongoing effort of many grass roots organizations and people who are endeavoring to make things better for our young people,” said Dr. Margarette W. Williams, chief executive officer of LEAPS. “We know our young people are the future of our communities. Every time we can help and we can give our support to them, we feel the need to do so.”

The recent infant homicides in the county were illustrated by nearly every speaker that took the podium. Marcha Jarmane Smith, 19, is accused of killing 2-year-old LaNiyah Beard on April 8. The preliminary report from the state’s Medical Examiner’s Office indicated that the toddler died as the result of “multiple blunt force trauma to the head and other parts of the body.” Smith was the boyfriend of the child’s mother.

On July 7, Treveles Bullard, 21, was arrested and charged with killing 10-month-old Jermauri Craig. The infant had injuries including a black eye, bruising around both eyes, bite marks, scratching and bruising and a depressed skull fracture. Bullard was the boyfriend of the child’s mother.

“Jefferson County has a high crime rate and we know that’s the reason why we have known so many cases in the community of child abuse and even child murders. This is happening a lot by young people,” Williams said. “We are not getting that message across in the way that we want to get it across. This [initiative] is a form of proactive dialog to see what we can do to address and look at the picture closer; to see what proactive measures we can take to help our young women understand how to better take care of themselves, how to identify abuse and neglect and how to get help quickly.”

Michael K. Womack, a unit supervisor in Pine Bluff for the DHS Division of Children and Family Services, pleaded with the teenagers to seek support and education.

“If you feel you need help, we will find somebody to help you,” he said. “Don’t let it get to the point where we are contacting you.”

Evelyn Romade of the CASA Women’s Shelter spoke about dating violence and how important it is to make wise romantic choices because of the potential harm that it could bring to children.

“Love is not worth harm to your child,” she said. “You can live without a man. There are plenty of good men out there. Wait until the right one for you and your children comes along.”

Akesha Jennings, 18, began her participation in the ACCESS program during the last school term. She is the mother of 10-month-old Kamiron Glover.

“It’s been a great help. They’ve taken a lot of pressure off of me and showed me how to cope, how to get help,” she said.

The program works directly with teenage mothers to teach parenting skills.

Dominique Allen, 16, is the mother of 3-week-old Tristan Craig Jr. She exhales a deep breath and smiles when asked what ACCESS has meant to her life.

“Support. Support. Support,” she said. “This was so helpful today, especially the stress techniques. You need it when you have a baby this young.”