We were off last week, so lots of news to report on today!
First, a report from Tufts University suggests that child abuse incidents actually decreased during the pandemic. “Emergency department visits, abusive head trauma admissions, and reports to child welfare offices—dropped sharply in the spring of 2020,” the report says. The researchers are certainly correct that reports to child welfare agencies dropped dramatically during the pandemic, but our own experience here in Georgia is that identification of abuse and neglect by medical providers remained about the same. So the question is: did child abuse drop, or did reports of child abuse drop?
More on the ongoing battle over Texas children sleeping in hotels, offices, or “unapproved” placements because there are no appropriate therapeutic settings for them. The State responded to experts’ recommendations, but plaintiffs’ lawyers say it’s not enough. From what I understand, however, a major part of the problem is that many of Texas’ facilities that could provide the necessary level of care for these children and youth, all of whom have high behavioral and behavioral health needs, shut down because of the heightened scrutiny and standards they were required to meet under the settlement terms of this lawsuit. Somebody check me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me you can’t get blood from a stone. You’ve got to create a business and regulatory environment that supports local therapeutic treatment centers and foster homes where children can get the higher levels of care they need.
Good longform piece in New York Magazine about a father’s travails with the child welfare system.
Following the murder of a CPS worker, Illinois Republicans are calling for a measure to allow child protection workers to carry pepper spray.
Here’s a report on the struggles — technological and workforce — faced by Missouri’s child welfare system.
Finally, check out this ABA Journal report on the need to have children attend their dependency hearings. Amen.
Part two of my column on improving mental health services for children is still in the research phase — look for it soon!