Supporting Survivors of Child Abuse
Child abuse is up 30% in the state of Michigan. According to the Michigan Kids Count that comes out every year, the last year of data (2016) showed that Michigan had over 39,000 CONFIRMED cases of child abuse/neglect. How can anyone read that statistic and not immediately want to do something about it? Most of the push back on Wyatt’s Law is because of the cost. How do I answer to that? Well, the survivors of child abuse/neglect cost the United States $124 BILLION dollars A YEAR in health care costs, lost worker productivity, special education programs, child welfare services, and criminal justice proceedings. That is enough money to send 1.7 [m]illion children to college. Staggering isn’t it?! I’m sick of politicians putting a price tag on the safety and well-being of our most innocent and vulnerable members of society, our children. Child abuse occurs in families of all races, cultures, and all socioeconomic levels. It does not discriminate; it happened to my child, it can happen to your child. We must break this cycle of abuse before it breaks our country. It already is.
Erica Hammel’s Continued Advocacy
Being a single mother of a child with special needs is not easy. My ex-husband, Wyatt’s father is not allowed to see him and my ex-husband has done nothing to get back into his life. The thought I struggle most with is, ‘What would Wyatt be like today if he wasn’t shaken?’ But I try to not think that way. I’m so blessed to have Wyatt here alive. I never take that for granted. Wyatt’s abuser was sentenced to 33 months to 10 years behind bars. Every year we go up to address the parole board. It is not easy to relive everything every year, but she has thankfully been denied [three] times. And I will continue to go up there to keep her behind bars. Abusers like Rachel Edwards can give a child a ‘life sentence,’ but she doesn’t get one herself. That’s why it’s imperative that if we can’t keep these perpetrators behind bars, that we know who they are so we can keep our children away from them. Wouldn’t you want to know if your next door neighbor was a convicted child abuser? If you want to follow Wyatt’s story and get updates on Wyatt’s Law, please join his Facebook Group ‘Wyatt the Warrior.’”
