| Families in DuPage County are relatively healthy. Incidents
of family violence and child abuse and neglect occur far less frequently in
the county than in the state overall, as do teen pregnancies. Divorce rates
in the county, on the other hand, remain higher than state rates. In
addition, although low, abuse of the elderly—particularly in the form of
financial exploitation—appears to be on the rise.
In today’s society, the pressures on families are great. Family members
are involved in a variety of activities that, while enriching, contribute to
a hectic schedule that is difficult to manage and can leave little time for
nurturing family relationships or for simply relaxing. In many families,
husbands and wives are working long hours to afford the lifestyle they
desire and achieve career goals. That leaves little time for family life.
Moreover, it places another burden on the family—the need to find adequate
child care. For some families, child care is not the only concern—they are
also charged with the care of their aging parents.
Divorce adds to time pressures and financial pressures on families, and
often occurs at important developmental times in children’s lives, which can
contribute to emotional or social problems. The significant economic needs
of families in DuPage County is easy to overlook do to rates and averages.
For instance, the 2.4% poverty rate in DuPage, though lower than the state
average, accounts for more than 32,000 individuals, a figure higher than the
total population in half of the 104 counties in Illinois.
The pressures on today’s families have the potential to lead to abuse of
family members or the breakup of the family. It is important that the
institutions in DuPage county work together to minimize these pressures and
maximize the strengths of families because, as families are strengthened, so
is the community.
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