Grant to Expand Suspected Child Abuse Training Program at
Child Protection Center
MILWAUKEE, Wis., Dec. 8, 2005 – Mayor Tom Barrett joined U.S. Cellular associates today to present a gift of $80,000 to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin president and CEO Jon Vice. The grant from U.S. Cellular will help expand the hospital’s Child Protection Center’s (CPC) fight against child abuse in Wisconsin.
Specifically, the money will help fund the geographical expansion of the CPC’s training program, Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Mandatory Reporter Training (SCAN-MRT). SCAN-MRT teaches child care providers and teachers how to make appropriate reports when a child is believed to be the victim of abuse or neglect. The new funding means the program will be able to expand its reach from educating 1,300 professionals to nearly 13,000 annually.
Mayor Barrett thanked U.S. Cellular for its commitment to fighting child abuse and praised the hospital’s SCAN-MRT program. In addition, he said, “Corporate partnerships are so critical to the health and well-being of initiatives such as Children Hospital’s SCAN-MRT program. I commend U.S. Cellular for recognizing the value of this important child abuse prevention program and for its substantial financial commitment to the hospital.”
“I’m pleased that U.S. Cellular is committed to helping expand this training program throughout much of Wisconsin,” said Kathy Hust, vice president of U.S. Cellular’s central region. “And as a board member at Children’s Hospital, I’m especially excited that U.S. Cellular is giving back to the hospital to fund this vital program.”
“Children’s Hospital and Health System has a longstanding commitment to stop child abuse and neglect in Wisconsin,” said Jon Vice, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. “We see far too many children in our hospitals as a result of abuse and neglect. This grant from U.S. Cellular goes a long way in helping us give these children a voice, by teaching professionals who work with children what to do if they suspect a child may need help.”
Since the inception of U.S. Cellular’s charitable program in 2002, the company has donated more than $550,000 in charitable grants to organizations in the state of Wisconsin, with more than $250,000 to organizations in Milwaukee.
The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Child Protection Center provides comprehensive assessments of children suspected to be victims of child abuse or neglect. The goal of the center is to protect children from abuse and provide resources to help them heal. The CPC is an accredited member of the National Children’s Alliance. NCA is a nationwide not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote and support communities in providing a coordinated investigation and comprehensive response to victims of severe child abuse.
As of June 30, 2005, Chicago-based U.S. Cellular Corporation (AMEX: USM), the nation’s sixth-largest wireless service carrier, provided service to more than 5.2 million customers in 25 states. With 2004 service revenues of $2.64 billion, U.S. Cellular maintains one of the industry’s highest levels of customer satisfaction by emphasizing customer support, quality network coverage and a comprehensive range of wireless products and services. The company is an active corporate citizen through charitable contributions, award-winning community relations programs and associate volunteer activities. For more information, visit www.uscellular.com.
