investigation as of last september.john:there are some events scheduled this weekend. several groups are meeting at austin city hall from 10 to 2
child abuse awareness month color, tomorrow to discuss child safety issues and let people know what resources are available. and in manor,
shadow glen elementary students will hold a one mile color fun run and festival.it costs 7 bucks, and all proceeds will be donated to raise awareness.john:going in depth... nationwide, one out of four girls and one in every six boys will be abused by the
time they're 18...but, there are several red flags to look for.kxan's gigi barnett has more.texas is one of 13 states that has a whistleblower law specifically for this issue. that means, if you come into contact with an abused child, you're required to report it.
if you don't, it's a crime. so, knowing the signs and symptoms are critical.experts say look for a sudden change in behavior.if a child is hungry, hoarding or stealing food that's another tip. also, look for bruises or if a child suddenly becomes
aggressive...that's an indicator.and, if you see a kid begin to act much younger than their age, pay attention to that. experts say many times the abuse is coming from someone that child knows... not a random stranger.and, the most common form of abuse is
neglect.there's is a national database that tracks these crimes.but, police and c-p-s can't do much to act on these cases until a report is made. that's why child advocacy groups say their greatest weapon against this crime is a boost in awareness. steven
phenix - pr director for the refuge for dmst: "child abuse, child sex trafficking, is something people are becoming much more aware of now is something that people are much more aware of. it's like domestic abuse two generations back, police would show up and
say keep it down, now people go to jail for that."again, if you see any of these crimes against children, you're required to report it.and, that can be done anonymously. back to you. sally:digging deeper, the number of texas foster
children sleeping in state offices and other "alternate" sites -- doubled last month. according to the dfps -- 65 foster children slept at least two consecutive nights in a state office, motel or shelter last month. there were 29 in february.a spokesman for child
protective services says the governor believes it's unacceptable. lawmakers are working on legislation to help the c-p-s crisis.in december they approved 142-million dollars for the agency to hire more than 800 employees.. and increase salaries.because of
that, in one week in march workers were able to visit the most at-risk kids within 24 hours.senate bill 11 is in the texas house.the bill comes with major changes.it would create a system to better
track children at risk of dangerous situations in their
homes.this proposal also requires children to get a
