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Clark County Child Advocacy Center Director Wendy Holt said 76 felony-level cases of child abuse were reported in Clark County in 2016. That’s up from 59 cases in 2015.
Of those reported in 2016, 17 involved children 2-years-old or younger.
Two of those children, including Lilly, died.
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
“In my own professional opinion that is a very significant number,” Holt said. “It tells me as a professional that we need to really look at this issue and discuss it in our community and how we can be proactive and educate the people on the issue.”
In an exclusive interview with this news organization last week, Brian Hayslip said Lilly cried for about 30 minutes before he shook her.
READ MORE: Father apologizes to mother of baby allegedly shaken to death
He said hurting Lilly was an accident, something he wished he could take back.
“I don’t know why I did it,” Hayslip said. “I really don’t. I have had anger problems my whole life.”
Eli Williams, CEO of Urban Light Ministries in Springfield, said he believes one of the major issues facing Clark County is that men are becoming fathers without knowing how to be dads.
“Things as simple as knowing how to handle a crying child can be life and death,” Williams said.
Clark County isn’t alone in this problem. One Shake is All it Takes, an organization dedicated to stopping the homicides of babies, said on average, 306 babies die in America every year due to shaken baby syndrome and up to 3,000 babies suffer some sort of damage from it.
Williams said Lilly’s death is a tragedy that angers him because it was preventable. He said he hopes her death will be a reminder to the community just how fragile babies are and how important it is to know how to properly take care of their needs.
DETAILS: Affidavit says Clark County man shook 3-month-old daughter
Holt said the Child Advocacy Center hopes to reach out to community stakeholders and start promoting an awareness plan to train parents to become better at taking care of their children, especially infants.
Urban Light hosts several free services for fathers so they can be better prepared, Williams said. The ministry offers a program called New Beginnings for New Fathers that trains men on parenting and co-parenting skills and a daddy boot camp to teach them how to properly care for an infant.
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
One of the lessons learned during daddy boot camp is that babies are going to cry.
“They can’t talk,” Williams said. “They can’t tell you their tummy hurts. They cry. When the crying is incisive, it probably means something is wrong. The baby is not being bad, it is trying to communicate the only way it can.”
Holt agreed, saying that parents should expect their baby to cry.
“This is so important: You’re baby crying does not mean you are a bad parent,” she said. “Every baby cries, they cry for different reasons and it can become so frustrating.”
Getting frustrated and upset at a crying baby is normal, said Derrion Mathews with Urban Light.
“You are excited,” he said. “You are looking for all things to be good and then a child is constantly crying and mom is dealing with trying to replenish after the delivery. You are sleep deprived, your scheduled has been turned upside down. It can be really frustrating.”
MORE COVERAGE: Clark County child abuse cases increasing
He said any financial troubles can also add stress. However, it’s never OK to let frustrations put the child in danger or shake them.
Holt said getting away from that situation is vital to the safety of the child. Urban Lights COO Darryl Grayson agrees.
“Set the baby down and walk away,” Grayson said. “Sometimes babies cry, and sometimes they don’t stop until they fall asleep or wear themselves out.”
Clark County has many resources available to parents who find themselves in a position where they fear their anger might lead to violence. Holt said the Child Advocacy Center is willing to help and officials at Urban Light said they’re available for anyone in need.
A national crying baby hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-866-243-2229.
Williams said his organizations works with hospitals, schools and other agencies to reach out to fathers to offer training. However, he said Urban Light isn’t helping as many dads as it could.
“We are desperate for help to try to make sure we reach as many fathers as possible to prevent the kind of tragedy that we have seen lately in our region,” Williams said. “Anyone can make a referral to Urban Light Ministries for a young father. All it takes is reaching out to us through phone, email, text, smoke signals — however you want to do it — just connect us with that father so we can then engage them.”
Grayson estimated that in its five-county reach, Urban Light teaches on average about 500 dads a year. He said he believes the ministry can handle twice that amount, if not more.
Holt said anyone in a situation where they are becoming frustrated with a child should put the baby in a crib on his or her back and walk away.
“Calm yourself down and go back in and check in on your baby,” she said.
By the numbers
59: Felony child abuse cases in 2015
76: Felony child abuse cases reported in 2016
17: Felony child abuse cases reported involving children ages 2 or younger in 2016
2: Deaths of children ages 2 or younger alleged to have resulted from child abuse in 2016