Welcome to

As the number of people on unemployment and food stamps continues to soar, so do cases of domestic violence. Emergency shelters have seen a 40 percent increase in victims seeking help. As Whitney Ray tells us, the Department of Children and Families is asking lawmakers for more money to keep up with the growing number of caseloads.

Tuesday the capitol courtyard was filled with the sounds of happy children, but mounting stress from the economic crisis is threatening Florida families. Jackie Malone runs a transition home for mothers. She says families are being pushed over the edge.

“Finances cause major stress, losing a job is a stressor and when theses stressors build up, the victims are victimized more often and more servere,” said Jackie.

The Department of Children and Families says crimes against babies are up drastically.

“I’ve have seen more shaken baby child deaths in the last four months than I saw in the first two years that I was here. Those are frightening statistics,” said DCF Secretary George Sheldon.

The department hopes lawmakers can find more money to help them fight the problem.

Law enforcement agencies are calling on their officers to lead by example. FSU Researcher Karen Oehme helped develop a training program to prevent officers police from abusing their families.

“The skills that an officer has and needs to use on the job can be abusive and extremely inappropriate and harmful if used at home,” said Oehme.

Domestic violence training is now mandatory for the state’s 46,000 law enforcement officers and 36,000 correctional and probation officers.

The Brehon Institute in Tallahassee helps mothers facing domestic violence and homelessness. The shelter is working with a barebones staff and is seeing a 50 percent increase in victims seeking help. If you would like to volunteer or donate to the Brehon Institute you can log on to their website at www.brehoninstitute.org.