Child Maltreatment During the Pandemic.

What happened with child abuse and neglect during the pandemic? Emergency department and child welfare data suggest a decline in reports; however other sources of data suggest that risk for abuse and neglect remained high during COVID-19. In this commentary, the authors highlight the complicated, and at times contradictory, evidence as to what occurred with child abuse and neglect during the pandemic. The commentary concludes with suggestions for future research.

Using research-practice-policy partnerships to mitigate the effects of childhood trauma on educator burnout.

BACKGROUND: The effects of COVID-19 pandemic on children have been immense. OBJECTIVE: In this commentary, we argue for the need to utilize research-practice-policy partnerships to address the issue of educator burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Education systems have the potential to be the site of public health interventions in helping to identify and address the needs of children and families. METHODS: In this commentary, we review the literature on child trauma and adversity, educator burnout, and research-practice-policy partnerships. RESULTS: With the return to in-person learning, educators, and the systems in which they work are overwhelmed by the magnitude of mental health challenges presenting in the classroom due to child trauma. As a result, many educators are reporting high levels of compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout, which are known predictors of leaving the workforce. Many of the strategies employed to address educator compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout focus directly on the individual level (e.g., deep breathing, yoga). Yet the compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout are rooted in larger system failures to address the growing needs of children and families. CONCLUSIONS: By bringing together key community members, including educators, and utilizing local data to inform policy decisions, actionable, trauma-informed solutions can create the conditions for thriving educators and therefore, thriving children.

How COVID-19 Is Placing Vulnerable Children at Risk and Why We Need a Different Approach to Child Welfare.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brings new worries about the welfare of children, particularly those of families living in poverty and impacted other risk factors. These children will struggle more during the pandemic because of financial pressures and stress placed on parents, as well as their limited access to services and systems of support. In this commentary, we explain how current circumstances reinforce the need for systemic change within statutory child welfare systems and the benefits that would accrue by implementing a continuum of services that combine universal supports with early intervention strategies. We also focus on promising approaches consistent with goals for public health prevention and draw out ideas related workforce development and cross-sector collaboration.