Who’s watching THE CHILDREN?

Wednesday marks the start of Child Abuse Awareness Month, but this year it may also prove to be the month where children across the nation are most defenseless.

Child abuse and neglect prosecutor Molly Neuman calls the current coronavirus crisis and extended call for social distancing the perfect storm for placing vulnerable children at risk of harm.

“Parents who may already lack appropriate coping skills and facing the added stress of lost income are now providing 24/7 care for their children,” she said.

Safety Nets Gone

Traditional safety nets also have dissolved in current efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Schools are closed, churches are holding virtual services, sports, scouting and other activities are canceled, neighborhood families are not intermingling and extended families are having less direct contact.

“In other words, all the people who typically might notice red flags that children might be at risk of abuse or neglect no longer have that point of contact,” Neuman said.

And those red flags aren’t always obvious. Seemingly innocuous issues like chronic absenteeism routinely reported when school is in session often signal more deep-rooted family problems.

A Department of Human Services child welfare worker told the Times & Free Press that several cases started out as truancy reports “then further investigation revealed much bigger issues which made the kids unsafe in their home.”

“That’s why (District Attorney) Mike (Fields) takes truancy referrals so seriously,” Neuman said, adding that school attendance reports are another barometer of a child’s well-being that is currently unavailable.

Fewer Cases Reported

Neuman said she’s received information from unofficial sources that child abuse and neglect reports to the state hotline had fallen off by half in recent weeks.

The state DHS communications office did not confirm the exact number of calls, but OKDHS Communications Director Casey White did verify that her agency “has seen a drop in total call volume to our statewide hotline.”

“The calls we have received are mostly meeting a higher priority criteria, indicating a need to quickly investigate the child’s safety,” White said.

Less DHS Interaction

Risk of infection also has prompted OKDHS to reduce direct contact between child welfare workers and families they are supervising.

“Our staff continue to make face-to-face visits for investigations and high-priority visits that require that level of interaction to protect the safety of Oklahoma’s children and families,” White said.

However, in other situations, such as routine home visits with families already in the system, and other nonemergency contacts with children already in foster care, video calls or phone calls are being used, White said.

“I understand the need to do that – there’s not enough protective gear for those workers and virus containment is a real concern,” Laci Redwine, a local licensed marriage and family therapist, said.

“But at the same time, that limited contact doesn’t give a true picture of what’s going on in a home.”

“When child welfare workers don’t have access to all the clues they normally rely on to judge whether problems exist, that’s scary to me,” Neuman said.

Lack of protective gear is definitely a problem. One child welfare worker told the Times & Free Press that masks are scarce and gloves and hand sanitizer are totally unavailable to workers right now.

“We’re worried about the kids on our caseloads but we’re also worried about getting sick ourselves and what’s going to happen to our own families,” the worker said. “All this stuff out there about frontline workers needing gloves, masks, hand sanitizers, but no one is talking about us.”

Parents Suffer, Too

Parents whose children are already in the system and who have been working to reunify their families also face obstacles.

Face-to-face visits with their children have been suspended in favor of videoconferencing or conference calls.

“We did not come to this decision easily and our hearts are heavy for natural families who, for a variety of reasons, find themselves under separate roofs,” White said. “However, we must remain focused on responding as a whole community to this virus to keep everyone safe and healthy.”

Additionally, many court-ordered family services also have been suspended.

Court Restrictions

Neuman and Associate District Judge Lance Schneiter also are grappling with how to keep juvenile cases at the forefront under the most recent Supreme Court order which suspends all but emergency court activities through May 15.

When abuse and neglect cases do come to light and are verified, emergency proceedings are continuing to remove children from dangerous homes.

Three such hearings have happened since the start of the pandemic, Neuman said.

But juvenile court dockets, where cases already in the system are reviewed in the courtroom with all parties present to discuss any issues, are pushed back for at least another six weeks.

“I have had and will continue to have conversations with other judges, lawn enforcement, DHS and the district attorney’s office on how best to monitor existing cases and identify new issues,” Schneiter said.

“Keeping kids safe is an issue that’s high on my radar and one we’re all trying to figure out.”

Help Still Available

Kingfisher Public School Counselors are still available and can be reached by students and families who need resources or help of any kind.

“We are reaching out through phone calls and emails and teachers are helping with ongoing monitoring of student situations,” Melissa Slezickey, Kingfisher Middle School counselor said.

“We are working collaboratively with outside counseling agencies as well as other communities to ensure our students are being cared for and a resource page is being added to school websites.”

Additionally, Neuman and DHS urge local residents to keep an eye out for each other and maintain contact in whatever way possible.

“Our first line of defense in this situation continues to be the community,” White said. “We ask that you check in with those in your community to offer your help.

“If we watch out for each other, we can protect our neighbors.”

“We all know of families who are under additional stress and those are the ones we need to reach out to,” Neuman said. “Just checking in via text or phone call, letting people know that they’re not forgotten while you’re also checking in on whether serious concerns have come up.”

Neuman also reminds all parents that walking away from a confrontation is always an alternative to overreacting to it.

“Everyone recognizes when they are at their limit,” she said. “It’s OK to take a break at that point.

“Send older kids outside to play or leave a crying baby safely in his crib and go in the other room if you know you’ve done all you can to soothe him.

“Call a neighbor, call a friend, we’re all here to help.”

Contact Numbers

Concerned Oklahomans should report suspected child abuse or neglect to the statewide hotline at 1-800-522-3511, or call 911 if you suspect a child is in imminent danger.

Contact information for school counselors includes:

High School: Paula Leffingwell, pleffingwell@kingfisher.k12.ok.us 405.375.4191 (leave a voicemail if no one answers)

KMS: Melissa Slezickeymslezickey@kingfisher. k12.ok.us 405.375.6607.

Kingfisher Heritage: Kris Schaefer, kschaefer@kingfisher.k12.ok.us 405.375.3018.

Gilmour Elementary School: Teneille Rother, trother@kingfisher.k12. ok.us 405.375.4080.