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COVID-19: Child Abuse & Neglect Have Not Disappeared

https://www.childabuseqc.org/
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Quad Cities Child Abuse Council
(file)

The pandemic and return to school policies are affecting children at risk of abuse and neglect.

Michelle O'Neill reports after talking with Brooke Hendrickx, from the Quad Cities Child Abuse Council. She's the Director of Development and Communications.

Calls reporting child abuse and neglect were down 50% across Illinois and Iowa in June, weeks after the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. But Hendrickx and other advocates for children knew child abuse continued and may have increased. 

Teachers, coaches, clergy, and others who are required to report child abuse and neglect lost access to children in mid-March. That's when schools and child care centers closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 

Teachers adapted by holding weekly video chats with students, and that continues now that school has started again. Many districts have increased counseling staff to provide resources for parents to ask questions and voice their concerns. 

It's up to us as adults to protect kids, to make sure they have happy, healthy lives. And that means always reporting suspicions of abuse or neglect.

Stressful situations such as custody battles had to wait as family courts stopped hearing cases for a couple of months.

The Quad Cities Child Abuse Council switched to providing services by phone and online.

Hendrickx says only the Child Protection Center in Muscatine remained open to conduct medical examinations and forensic interviews for children affected by abuse or neglect.

Without grandparents and other adults, many parents call the council to ask about changes in their kids' behavior.

Hendrickx says increased stress and isolation may lead to an increased risk of abuse and neglect.

And she hopes people will look out for each other and perhaps leave a restaurant gift card or kids game for a struggling family in their neighborhood. Anything that might help ease the stress and lower the risk. 

The pandemic and lockdown interrupted family routines. And the added stress felt by adults is felt by children, too. But they deal with it in different ways.

The local Child Abuse Council has created Facebook groups for parents to connect with each other. And Hendrickx says client groups meet virtually to give moms and dads a chance to talk to someone besides their children.

Here's a list of resources about prevention and reporting.

  • Contact the Quad Cities Child Abuse Council at 309.736.7170, info@childabuseqc.org, or HERE
  • In Illinois, call 800.252.2873 or go HERE.
  • In Iowa, call 800.362.2178 or go HERE
  • A national hotline operates 24-hours-a-day at 800.422.4453. Its website is HERE.
Credit https://www.childabuseqc.org/ / Quad Cities Child Abuse Council
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Quad Cities Child Abuse Council

Officially, Michelle's title for 28 years was WVIK News Editor. She did everything there is to do in the newsroom and whatever was needed around the radio station. She also served as Acting News Director from September 2023 - January 2024.