HARRISBURG, Pa. — In a normal week, child welfare workers are inundated with calls to ChildLine, the state's 24/7 hotline for reporting concerns of child abuse or neglect. Recently, caseworkers have seen far fewer emergency calls.
According to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), there has been a 54 percent drop in average daily calls to ChildLine since March 19. Reports of child abuse plummeted by 62 percent, but these numbers are not tied to a sudden drop in children behind harmed.
“We’re just seeing the call volume down significantly because we don’t have kids in their typical routine of going to school, where we have a lot of the mandated reporters,” explained Teresa Miller, Secretary of DHS.
Mandated reporters are the most reliable beacons for potential abuse. They include teachers, doctors, and day care providers. Stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic have limited contact with at-risk children.
Jon Rubin, Deputy Secretary of DHS’ Office of Children, Youth and Families said, “We’re checking in on families, but those visits may be video versus face-to-face as we are balancing ensuring the safety of the children with the health and welfare of our workforce.”
Reports to ChildLine drive what happens next for children, but child advocates note the system is not perfect. In December, FOX43 Reveals dug through hundreds of DHS records and found reports of child neglect are chronically under-investigated.
“Sometimes the system in ordinary times hasn’t worked the way many of us think it should or anticipated,” said Cathleen Palm, founder of the Center for Children’s Justice. “We’ve always needed to think about how we protect kids in a different way than we do, but this is really now upping the ante that we should be thinking about child protection in a different way.”
Typically in April, blue flags and ribbon are prominently displayed in public view to symbolize Child Abuse Prevention Month. However, events and rallies to raise awareness have been canceled as the commonwealth continues to fight the spread of COVID-19.
To prevent child abuse cases from possibly going unchecked, child advocates want families to know there are several resources that offer help and support.
“It is possible for us still to protect children, to support parents and to prevent abuse or harm to kids, even in these extraordinary covid-19 times that we’re in,” said Palm.
To find prevention and support program, click here.