ACCORDING TO THE MOST RECENT FIGURES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, THERE HAS BEEN A 50 PERCENT DECREASE IN
CHILD ABUSE REPORTS DURING THIS TIME IN ISOLATION.
MARIA MOE-SIGH-DEZ, CHIEF CHILD ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF
MASSACHUSETTS SPEAKS WITH ZYDALIS BAUER ABOUT THE CONCERNS
SHE HAS NOW THAT MANDATED REPORTERS SUCH AS TEACHERS AND
DAY CARE WORKERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SEE CHILDREN ON A
REGULAR BASIS TO SPOT POTENTIAL SIGNS OF ABUSE.
SHE ALSO DISCUSSED WHAT THE STATE IS DOING TO ENSURE THE
SAFETY OF CHILDREN DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
>> BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT TEACHERS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS
ARE THE PRIME FILERS OF ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE AND
NEGLECT, MY CONCERN WAS THAT WE WERE GOING TO NOT HAVE THOSE
SPECIAL EYES ON THE CHILDREN OF THE COMMONWEALTH.
>> IT MAKES ME A LITTLE EMOTIONAL WHEN I THINK ABOUT
THESE CHILDREN THAT ARE NO LONGER GOING TO SCHOOL OR GOING
TO THEIR DAYCARE PROGRAM EVERY DAY AND THEY'RE BEING TOLD RIGHT
NOW IT'S SAFER TO BE AT HOME DURING THIS PANDEMIC BUT FOR
THESE VICTIMS OF ABUSE IT'S REALLY NOT SAFER FOR THEM TO BE
AT HOME. WHAT OPTIONS ARE THERE NOW THAT
THESE TEACHERS, THESE MANDATED REPORTERS ARE NOT SEEING THEM
EVERY DAY. WHO CAN BE THE VOICE OF THESE
CHILDREN? >> WELL, I THINK ONE OF THESE
THINGS I KNOW IS OCCUR IS THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ARE REALLY ATTEMPTING
TO PROVIDE SOME GUIDELINES FOR SOME TEACHERS SO THAT WHEN THAT
THEY'RE INVOLVED IN CLASSROOM SETTINGS THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS,
THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO SORT OF ASK SOME QUESTIONS AND EYEBALL
CHILDREN. MY CURRENT CONCERN IS THAT
SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE REPORTING LARGE NUMBERS OF FAMILIES WHO
ARE NOT ENGAGING AT ALL IN VIRTUAL CLASSES.
WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE
TECHNOLOGY TO PARTICIPATE OR WHETHER IT'S FAMILIES ARE
WORKING AND THEY CAN'T HELP THEIR CHILDREN CONNECT BUT THAT
IS A POPULATION THAT I AM INCREASINGLY CONCERNED WITH AND
THAT MAY BE A POPULATION THAT WE TRY TO COLLECT THAT INFORMATION
AND WE IF WE CAN'T ARRANGE FOR SOME WELL-CHILD CHEPS AND THEY
WOULD WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL OFFERINGS.
>> NOW, TALK TO ME ABOUT THE NUMBERS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN
SEEING WHEN IT COMES TO REPORTS BEING MADE DURING THIS
QUARANTINE TIME COMPARED TO THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR?
WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? >> WE'RE SEEING A 50% DROP
YEAR-OVER-YEAR. WE NORMALLY SEE A DROP IN THE
SUMMER MONTHS WHEN KIDS ARE, YOU KNOW, HOME.
I THINK THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CURRENT SITUATION AND THE
NORMALLY DROP IN THE SUMMERTIME IS THAT CHILDREN ARE ALSO
PARTICIPATING IN SPORTS. THEY GO TO CAMP.
THAT THEY'RE OUTDOORS AND SO NEIGHBORS AND THE ORGANIZED
RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS ALL OF THEM ARE MANDATED REPORTERS NOT
THE NEIGHBORS, WHICH ARE ALSO ANOTHER SET OF EYES AND WHAT
WE'RE SEEING AT THIS POINT IS A REAL SERIOUS DROP IN THE NUMBER
OF REPORTS THAT WE ARE RECEIVING AND I THINK BECAUSE WE DON'T
KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS WE DON'T
KNOW WHETHER CAMPS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS WILL RE-OPEN
SO IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY LONG PERIOD WITHOUT
PROFESSIONALS REPORTING THEIR SUSPICIONS OF ABUSE OR NEGLECT.
>> AS NEIGHBORS AND CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY, ARE THERE
ANYTHING THAT WE CAN BE DOING TO HELP REPORT CASES?
ARE THERE SIGNS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT FOR?
WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND? >> YEAH, I THINK THAT SORT OF IF
YOU LOOK AT THE CHILDREN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE OBVIOUS THING
IS TO LOOK FOR BRUISEDS AND INJURIES.
I MEAN, THAT IS THE OBVIOUS ONE BUT I THINK ALSO LOOKING AND
TALKING TO CHILDREN AND SEEING IF YOU NOTICE ANY CHANGE IN THE
BEHAVIOR. IS THE CHILD MORE ANXIOUS?
IS A TALKATIVE CHILD NO LONGER TALKING OR A CHILD THAT NEVER
TALKS BADLY? SO ANY CHANGES IN WHAT YOU WOULD
CONSIDER NORMAL FOR A CHILD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS SOMETHING
THAT YOU SHOULD, YOU KNOW, INQUIRE ABOUT.
YOU MIGHT ASK A CHILD, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES IT FEEL WHEN YOU'RE AT
HOME IN A CALMING VOICE AND MAYBE THE CHILD WILL RELAY
SOMETHING. I THINK WHAT WE CAN ALL DO IS
CHECK ON FAMILIES WHICH IS JUST CHECKING IN AND SAYING: DO YOU
HAVE EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED? HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH FOOD?
YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU DOING -- JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THE STRESS
THAT FAMILIES ARE UNDER, HAVING KIDS HOME 24/7 WITHOUT KIDS
HAVING RECESS SO THEY CAN'T BURN OFF SOME OF THE ENERGIES THAT
CHILDREN NORMALLY HAVE. I THINK SOMETIMES JUST AN
UNDERSTANDING VOICE IS ENOUGH FOR A FAMILY PERHAPS TO DIVULGE
THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FOOD OR THAT THEY'RE VERY STRESSED
AND THEN I THINK WE'RE ASKING EVERYONE TO DO IS TO SUGGEST TO
FAMILIES THAT THEY CALL 211 AND 211 CAN HELP THEM, BOTH CONNECT
THEM TO STATE SERVICES BUT ALSO CONNECT THEM TO LOCAL FOOD
PANTRIES AND OTHER PLACES WHERE THEY CAN GET THE HELP THAT THEY
MAY NEED. >> I'M GLAD THAT YOU BROUGHT UP
THE 211 BECAUSE I THINK SOME PEOPLE MIGHT BE AFRAID TO REPORT
THINGS TO GET IN TROUBLE BUT THIS IS JUST A RESOURCE ALSO TO
GET HELP FOR FAMILIES; IS THAT CORRECT?
>> YES. 211 IS REALLY THERE AS THE STATE
SUPPORT NETWORK TO LINK FAMILIES TO SERVICES AND THEY'RE NOT --
211 IS NOT GOING TO SORT OF REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND I THINK THERE'S ALSO A MISNOMER
AND SO I WANT TO CORRECT SOMETHING.
THAT WHEN ALLEGATIONS OF AND ABUSE NEGLECT ARE FILED, IT
DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT A CHILD WILL BE REMOVED FROM THEIR
FAMILY HOME. IT'S REALLY GIVING THE STATE
CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICE AGENCY AN EFFORT TO HELP A FAMILY AND,
IN FACT, IN MASSACHUSETTS THE BULK OF THE CHILDREN -- 80% OF
THE FAMILIES WHO COME TO THE 25*E67KS THE DEPARTMENT --
DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES NEVER HAVE THEIR
CHILDREN REMOVED FROM HOME BUT, IN FACT, GET THE HELP SO THAT
THEY CAN, IN FACT, BE THE PARENTS THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY
WANT TO BE. >> THAT'S GREAT.
IS THERE ANY CHANGES BEING MADE TO HOME VISITS FOR FAMILIES
DURING THIS TIME BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC?
>> AT THE MOMENT, VISITATION IS BEING DONE VIRTUALLY BY SOCIAL
WORKERS EXCEPT FOR THOSE CASES WHICH FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT IS
ESSENTIAL BECAUSE OF THE RISK TO THE PARTICULAR FAMILIES.
INVESTIGATIONS ARE OCCURRING AND THOSE ARE OCCURRING BOTH VIRTUAL
AND IN-PERSON. THE STATE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO
OPERATE BUT FOR THE NEXT PERIOD OF TIME I THINK EVERYONE IS
PRACTICING THE BEST SAFE PRACTICES AND UNLESS IT'S
ESSENTIAL, VISITATION IS NOW OCCURRING, ACCORDING TO THE
REGULAR SCHEDULE, BUT OCCURRING VIRTUALLY AND TECHNOLOGY IS
BEING DISTRIBUTED IN ORDER TO ENABLE THAT TO HAPPEN.
>> NO ONE IS SURE HOW LONG THESE QUARANTINES AND THESE RE-OPENING
PHASES HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO WORK OUT AND LAST?
ARE THERE ANY NEW MEASURES THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT
AS WE KIND OF RE-IMAGINE THIS NEW NORMAL WHEN IT PERTAINS TO
THESE TYPES OF CASES? >> I THINK WE'RE EXAMINING SOME
OF THE POSITIVE THINGS THAT HAVE COME OUT FROM VIRTUAL AND ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE'RE SEEING IS THAT FOR MANY FAMILIES
HAVING VIRTUAL VISITS WITH CHILDREN WHERE THEY LOST
TEMPORARY CUSTODY OF THEIR CHILDREN THAT THEY MIGHT
ACTUALLY GET IN MORE VISITS USING SOME TECHNOLOGY THAN THE
TRADITIONAL WEEKLY VISIT AND IT'S SOMETIMES EASIER FOR
FAMILIES WHO HAVE TRANSPORTATION DIFFICULTIES SO I THINK THERE'S
GOING TO BE SOME POSITIVE TAKE-AWAYS FROM BEING IN THIS
ENVIRONMENT OF OUR BEING A LITTLE MORE CREATIVE ABOUT
LINKING CHILDREN TO THEIR FAMILIES.
CLEARLY, I THINK JUST AS WE PLAN FOR EVERY SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER
WHEN CHILDREN RETURN TO SCHOOL AND THERE'S AN INCREASE IN
COMPLAINTS. IT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE YEAR, I
THINK WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR WHEN WE RETURN TO WHATEVER NEW
NORMAL THAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO WHAT WE PRESUME
WILL BE AN INCREASE IN CONCERNS REPORTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.