How are our kids doing today, late in December 2020? Christmas is over the new year is almost here. What does that mean to our children? Nothing, 2021, to our children is just another day, with an angry parent who still can’t find work. No school for the kids of age to go to school, now, more restrictions about gathering. Still no school for kids. Tensions are up high for the adults.
The children still miss their friends from school. Some are missing their teacher. Are the kids really doing homework/school work on their laptops? Do they have supervision? Is mom helping them? Some parents are working if they work in a health care career or are front-line workers.
Who is taking care of those children when the parent(s) have to work and/or they are single workers? Some hospitals have daycare services or night shift children care providers. That is good, those children at least get to see other children or other people who care for them.
I was reading a report from Joe Dorman, a former legislator and CEO of the institute for child advocacy. He made a very good point. There is a decrease in the reporting of child abuse, child abuse reportings have been down since February 2020.
Is that a good thing? It just means that because children are not going to school where teachers can see the bruises on these little children or bigger kids too. They are mandatory reporters who care about their classroom kiddos. There go the children’s caretakers, who almost always look for physical and emotional abuse on the children. Too, parents are not working and are staying at home with the children.
Parents are jobless, there is a lot of tension among the adults of the family. They have to get on unemployment claims, and in some states, they have to wait for up to a month due to a shortage of state funding, they need food stamps, and maybe, they require public assistance. That is not easy.
Having to stand in line and look at people you know or you seeing people you know there too, is humiliating and does not feel good to be asking for help. Even if the world as a whole is trying to survive this economy and this pandemic.
Due to the lack of mandatory reporters, there is no one for the children to report to. Who are they going to get help from? They are just children who have NO control over their lives.
There are many trauma-informed schools, where some of the school staff, were trained in identifying children in need of help. Again, due to the COVID 19, what help are they today, right now. Children are living under adverse conditions. Who is going to check on them?
There is an organization that serves our most vulnerable and low-income population. The Child Abuse Network. They have been concerned as “as shelter-in-place orders were enacted and children at risk, lost a connection to caring adults outside the home, who could report suspected abuse.”
The president and CEO of the Child Abuse Network released a report stating that “instead of being safer at home, helpless children are trapped in an unsafe environment aggravated by the stress and economic instability inflicted by the pandemic. All indicators show the pandemic has led to a child abuse epidemic.”
If you suspect child abuse and neglect or are concern about someone abusing their children. Please have the courage to call the Child Abuse Hot Line – 1 800 522-3511 available 24/7 help. Or 911 can connect you to someone who can help.
I know that there are programs out there, that can help. If you are a friend, relative, or just someone who can help a child and in your heart fear this child or children are being abused. Call for help or advice, is better than not calling at all.
Many Blessings and protection for all of us and our children