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At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts worked with children and mandatory reporters (professionals such as educators and doctors who are required by law to report suspected child abuse or neglect). Reduced interaction with children leads to fewer reports and more abuse and neglect.
Undoubtedly, the pandemic has resulted in fewer reports to state child welfare agencies, with reports to the Alaska Department of Child Services dropping by as much as 30% in some months of 2020. But there were no matches. Increase in child abuse and neglect. National rates of child abuse and neglect have actually decreased during the pandemic. Research shows that this decline reflects more than just a decline in reporting. Other indicators of abuse, such as emergency room visits and hospitalizations for abusive head injuries, also declined during the pandemic.
A child welfare system with fewer reports of abuse and neglect does not necessarily mean it is a system that makes children safer. During the pandemic, expanded financial support, including the child tax credit expansion and direct economic relief payments, served to provide families with the tangible support they needed to weather the storm and keep children safe. there is a possibility.
When we support families, children thrive. As we prepare for Child Abuse Prevention Month this April, we call on all Alaskans to become a Compulsory Supporter.
Our society’s emphasis on reporting may lead many adults to believe that filing a report is the best way to help a child or family in crisis. However, in Alaska and across the nation, the majority of child welfare reports concern neglect. Many of these reports mistakenly refer to poverty as neglect. Although the two are not the same, reporters often mistakenly identify indicators of a family’s financial hardship, such as living in a homeless shelter, as indicators of neglect. When these reports are reviewed and investigated, families who are more likely to live in poverty and are more likely to be referred to child welfare, especially families of color, are left without basic system provision. They end up at risk of facing child removal because of a problem that could have been resolved. Concrete support. Even when such reports are screened, the families may still be suffering and in need of help, but they cannot receive it through the child welfare system.
Most parents do not intentionally abuse or neglect their children. However, if left without the necessary knowledge, skills, support, and resources, parents can reach a breaking point. That’s when harm can occur. If you see a family in need, please reach out and offer support. Perhaps that means lending a sympathetic ear to a parent in need or calling 2-1-1 to connect the family to resources. Offering support early on may prevent the family from having to be reported.
The purpose of mandatory reporting is to protect children, not to increase reporting. If we all fulfill our moral obligations as mandatory supporters, we can eliminate the need for mandatory reporters to fulfill their legal obligations.
Focus on prevention, not just intervention. Don’t just be a reporter, be a mandatory supporter.
Trevor Storrs I am the President and CEO of Alaska Children’s Trust.
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