Child maltreatment reporting during the initial weeks of COVID-19 in the US: Findings from NCANDS.

BACKGROUND: After the national COVID-19 emergency declaration in the U.S. in March 2020, child welfare agencies observed large reductions in maltreatment reporting. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child maltreatment reporting nationally to inform policy for future emergencies. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Administrative data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) for 48 states for federal fiscal years (FFYs) 2017 through 2020. METHODS: Analyses focused on reports to child protective services (CPS) between weeks 12 and 24 of calendar years 2017 through 2020 (mid-March through mid-June). Report sources of screened in and substantiated reports were compared with those during the prior year. Likelihood of a report being substantiated in 2020 compared with 2019 based on report source was calculated using odds ratios. RESULTS: In 2020, CPS screened in 39 % fewer reports than during the same period in 2019 and the proportion of reports substantiated increased from 18 to 22 %. Reports from all report sources decreased, especially from education personnel (90 % decrease) and child daycare providers (65 % decrease). The odds for substantiation were significantly higher during 2020 than in 2019 for reports from all but three sources. CONCLUSION: During the initial weeks following the national COVID-19 emergency declaration, the number of reports to CPS declined sharply at the national level and across all states, primarily in association with a large reduction in referrals from education sentinels. Explanations for the increase in percent of substantiation in the context of reduction of reports are considered.

Supporting Children Experiencing Family Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic: IPV and CPS Provider Perspectives.

OBJECTIVES: Children experiencing family violence (child abuse and neglect and exposure to intimate partner violence) are at a particularly elevated risk for compounding challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we interviewed intimate partner violence (IPV) advocates, child protective services (CPS) caseworkers, and IPV and CPS administrators on the needs of children experiencing family violence during the pandemic. METHODS: We conducted semistructured interviews with IPV advocates, CPS caseworkers, and IPV and CPS administrators. Recruitment occurred through emails to national and state listservs, networks of the study team, and word of mouth. Interviews were completed through Zoom, took 45 to 60 minutes and were audio recorded. We used a mixed deductive-inductive content analysis approach. RESULTS: Fifty-nine IPV advocates, 35 IPV administrators, 21 CPS workers and 16 CPS administrators participated in this study. Four themes emerged from this work. Participants discussed the role of social isolation, school closures, and distance learning on children experiencing family violence. They also noted child custody and visitation challenges, particularly in the context of abusive partners using custody to control IPV survivors and limitations to virtual visitation more broadly. Compounding challenges were described for children from marginalized communities due to structural-level inequities. Collaboration was discussed by participants from both IPV and CPS sectors. CONCLUSION: This study is one of the first to describe the way the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted children experiencing family violence. Future studies should triangulate these results with children, families, and other child-serving providers.

Child protective services during COVID-19 and doubly marginalized children: International perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Alongside deficits in children's wellbeing, the COVID-19 pandemic has created an elevated risk for child maltreatment and challenges for child protective services worldwide. Therefore, some children might be doubly marginalized, as prior inequalities become exacerbated and new risk factors arise. OBJECTIVE: To provide initial insight into international researchers' identification of children who might have been overlooked or excluded from services during the pandemic. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: This study was part of an international collaboration involving researchers from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Israel, South Africa, Uganda, the UK and the USA. Researchers from each country provided a written narrative in response to the three research questions in focus, which integrated the available data from their countries. METHOD: Three main questions were explored: 1) Who are the children that were doubly marginalized? 2) What possible mechanisms may be at the root? and 3) In what ways were children doubly marginalized? The international scholars provided information regarding the three questions. A thematic analysis was employed using the intersectional theoretical framework to highlight the impact of children's various identities. RESULTS: The analysis yielded three domains: (1) five categories of doubly marginalized children at increased risk of maltreatment, (2) mechanisms of neglect consisting of unplanned, discriminatory and inadequate actions, and (3) children were doubly marginalized through exclusion in policy and practice and the challenges faced by belonging to vulnerable groups. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic can be used as a case study to illustrate the protection of children from maltreatment during worldwide crises. Findings generated the understanding that child protective systems worldwide must adhere to an intersectionality framework to protect all children and promote quality child protection services.

One year into COVID-19: What have we learned about child maltreatment reports and child protective service responses?

BACKGROUND: A year has passed since COVID-19 began disrupting systems. Although children are not considered a risk population for the virus, there is accumulating knowledge regarding children's escalating risk for maltreatment during the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: The current study is part of a larger initiative using an international platform to examine child maltreatment (CM) reports and child protective service (CPS) responses in various countries. The first data collection, which included a comparison between eight countries after the pandemic's first wave (March-June 2020), illustrated a worrisome picture regarding children's wellbeing. The current study presents the second wave of data across 12 regions via population data (Australia [New South Wales], Brazil, United States [California, Pennsylvania], Colombia, England, Germany, Israel, Japan, Canada [Ontario, Quebec], South Africa). METHOD: Regional information was gathered, including demographics, economic situation, and CPS responses to COVID-19. A descriptive analysis was conducted to provide an overview of the phenomenon. RESULTS: Across all of the countries, COVID-19 had a substantial negative impact on the operation of CPSs and the children and families they serve by disrupting in-person services. One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, new reports of CM varied across the regions.1 In some, the impact of COVID-19 on CPS was low to moderate, while in others, more significant changes created multiple challenges for CPS services. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 created a barrier for CPS to access and protect children. The dramatic variance between the regions demonstrated how social, economic and structural contexts impact both CM reports and CPS responses.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child protective services caseworkers and administrators.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted children and young people experiencing child abuse and neglect. Child Protective Services (CPS) has played an important role in supporting children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few studies to-date have evaluated the impact of the pandemic on CPS caseworkers and administrators in the United States. OBJECTIVES: We conducted interviews to explore CPS caseworkers' and administrators' experiences working and serving families during the pandemic. METHODS: Participants were U.S.-based CPS caseworkers and administrators. We conducted semi-structured virtual interviews with participants and used an inductive thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: We conducted 37 interviews. Participants discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way they conduct investigations and provide services to families in the CPS system. Several services were adapted to occur virtually, providing challenges and unique opportunities. Participants also described the personal barriers they faced during the pandemic, including working remotely, experiencing burnout, and challenges obtaining personal protective equipment. Finally, participants shared creative solutions they engaged in to support children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic, including expanding collaborations with other community-based organizations. DISCUSSION: This study suggests the important role that CPS has played during the pandemic and challenges individual CPS workers felt, in terms of both experiencing burnout and difficulty obtaining personalized protective equipment. Inclusion of the CPS system in emergency preparedness planning for future pandemics or natural disasters will ensure continuation of these vital services.

Infant Safe Sleep Promotion: Increasing Capacity of Child Protective Services Employees.

Sleep-related infant deaths, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), are the number one cause of death in infants between 28 days and one year of life. Nearly half of families experiencing a sleep-related infant death in Kansas were involved with the Department of Children and Families Child Protective Services (CPS), making CPS staff a priority for safe sleep training. This study assessed the impact of the two-day Kansas Infant Death and SIDS (KIDS) Network Safe Sleep Instructor (SSI) train-the-trainer program on CPS staffs' knowledge of the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep recommendations. Training was attended by 43 participants, 27 (63%) of whom were employed by CPS. CPS staff had significantly lower baseline knowledge on the 10-item pretest (t = 3.33, p = 0.002), but both CPS and other attendees showed significant improvement by posttest (t = 8.53, p < 0.001 and t = 4.44, p < 0.001, respectively). Following SSI certification, CPS SSIs provided more safe sleep training to professionals than other SSIs (1051 vs. 165, respectively), and both groups of SSIs were able to significantly increase the knowledge of their trainees. Overall, the KIDS Network SSI training was successful. The innovative partnership with CPS allowed for provision of training to a group not historically targeted for safe sleep education.

The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic for families of infants involved with Child Protection Services for maltreatment concerns.

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated physical distancing restrictions have exacerbated social, economic and health disadvantage within our communities. With increases in mental health difficulties and family violence already being seen, there is concern that the risk of child maltreatment risk may also be increased. The current study aimed to explore the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic for families identified to be at risk of child maltreatment in Victoria, Australia. Understanding the experiences of the pandemic for families already at risk is essential in identifying how to best support vulnerable parents and young children during this challenging time. Interviews were conducted with 11 parents currently involved with Child Protection Services, and nine clinicians working within a child and family health services, supporting clients with child protection involvement. Parents and clinicians described a range of pandemic related stressors including employment and financial stress, worry about infection and changes to service access. In addition, parents with children in out of home care discussed decreased access to their children resulting from physical distancing restrictions. Parents and clinicians perceived the pandemic to be having a negative impact on parent mental health, parenting stress and isolation. Although parents raised minimal concerns about the impact of the pandemic on child well-being, clinicians expressed concerns about the rise in risk factors for child maltreatment. Parents discussed a range of coping strategies which they perceived to be helpful during the pandemic, and clinicians and parents described the need for additional mental health support and support to access basic needs. The study highlights the importance of ensuring at risk families have access to parenting and mental health support throughout the pandemic and the importance of ensuring children within at-risk families are sighted and their safety assessed.

Telepsychiatry Consultation for Primary Care Treatment of Children and Adolescents Receiving Child Protective Services in Chile: Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.

BACKGROUND: Children and adolescents living under the supervision of child protective services have complex mental health care needs. The scarcity and uneven distribution of specialized mental health teams in Chile may limit the provision and quality of care for this vulnerable population. Telepsychiatry can address such health inequities. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a telepsychiatry consultation program for primary health care (PHC) treatment of children and adolescents living under the supervision of child protective services. METHODS: We developed a telepsychiatry consultation program for two rural PHC clinics located in central Chile (Valparaíso Region) and evaluated its implementation using a mixed methods study design. The program consisted of videoconferencing mental health consultation sessions scheduled twice per month (each 90 minutes long), over a 6-month period, delivered by child and adolescent psychiatrists based in Santiago, Chile. We described the number of mental health consultation sessions, participant characteristics, perceived usefulness and acceptability, and experiences with the telepsychiatry consultation program. RESULTS: During the 6-month study period, 15 videoconferencing mental health consultation sessions were held. The telepsychiatry consultation program assisted PHC clinicians in assigning the most adequate diagnoses and making treatment decisions on pharmacotherapy and/or psychotherapy of 11 minors with complex care needs. The intervention was perceived to be useful by PHC clinicians for improving the resolution capacity in the treatments of this patient population. Limitations such as connectivity issues were resolved in most sessions. CONCLUSIONS: The telepsychiatry consultation program was feasible and potentially useful to support PHC clinicians in the management of institutionalized children and adolescents with complex psychosocial care needs living in a poorly resourced setting. A larger scale trial should assess clinical outcomes in the patient population. Regulations and resources for this service model are needed to facilitate sustainability and large-scale implementation.

Child maltreatment reports and Child Protection Service responses during COVID-19: Knowledge exchange among Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Israel, and South Africa.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has become a worldwide pandemic impacting child protection services (CPSs) in many countries. With quarantine and social distancing restrictions, school closures, and recreational venues suspended or providing reduced access, the social safety net for violence prevention has been disrupted significantly. Impacts include the concerns of underreporting and increased risk of child abuse and neglect, as well as challenges in operating CPSs and keeping their workforce safe. OBJECTIVE: The current discussion paper explored the impact of COVID-19 on child maltreatment reports and CPS responses by comparing countries using available population data. METHOD: Information was gathered from researchers in eight countries, including contextual information about the country's demographics and economic situation, key elements of the CPS, and the CPS response to COVID-19. Where available, information about other factors affecting children was also collected. These data informed a discussion about between-country similarities and differences. RESULTS: COVID-19 had significant impact on the operation of every CPS, whether in high- income or low-income countries. Most systems encountered some degree of service disruption or change. Risk factors for children appeared to increase while there were often substantial deficits in CPS responses, and in most countries there was at a temporary decrease in CM reports despite the increased risks to children. CONCLUSIONS: The initial data presented and discussed among the international teams pointed to the way COVID-19 has hampered CPS responses and the protection of children more generally in most jurisdictions, highlighting that children appear to have been at greater risk for maltreatment during COVID-19.

Child maltreatment in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic: A proposed global framework on research, policy and practice.

BACKGROUND: Child protection is and will be drastically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Comprehending this new reality and identifying research, practice and policy paths are urgent needs. OBJECTIVE: The current paper aims to suggest a framework for risk and protective factors that need to be considered in child protection in its various domains of research, policy, and practice during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. STRATEGY: From an international collaboration involving researchers and child protection professionals from eight countries, the current paper examines various factors that were identified as playing an important role in the child protection system. THE INITIAL SUGGESTED FRAMEWORK: Through the use of an ecological framework, the current paper points to risk and protective factors that need further exploration. Key conclusions point to the urgent need to address the protection of children in this time of a worldwide pandemic. Discussion of risk and protective factors is significantly influenced by the societal context of various countries, which emphasizes the importance of international collaboration in protecting children, especially in the time of a worldwide pandemic. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed the urgent need to advance both theory and practice in order to ensure children's rights to safety and security during any pandemic. The suggested framework has the potential to advance these efforts so that children will be better protected from maltreatment amidst a pandemic in the future.

Domestic violence in families in the Netherlands during the coronavirus crisis: A mixed method study.

BACKGROUND: The consequences of the coronavirus crisis are considerable for everyone in the Netherlands. Although there were concerns about the many vulnerable families who were forced to stay at home because of the measures taken by the government to contain the coronavirus in the Netherlands, there has been no increase in the number of reports of domestic violence or child abuse. OBJECTIVE: To gain insight by a mixed method study on what has happened during the lockdown within families who were already known to social services. METHODS: A quantitative study was performed among 159 families recruited before the coronavirus crisis, and 87 families recruited during the lockdown in the Netherlands through child protection services. Family members (parents, children) completed questionnaires about interparental violence, (historical) child abuse and neglect, and emotional security. In a qualitative study 39 of these respondents and 13 professionals were interviewed. RESULTS: No difference was found in violence between families who participated before and after the lockdown. The level of violence is still high in most families. The absence of assistance promoted the self-reliance of children and parents to deal with this difficult period. Professionals found new ways of connecting to families at risk. Every form of support is important to these families because it made children feel seen and heard. Isolation of families where domestic violence and child abuse occurred, remains a risk factor, even outside the coronavirus crisis.

'When will I be free': Lessons from COVID-19 for Child Protection in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has highlighted and amplified structural inequalities; drawing attention to issues of racism, poverty, xenophobia as well as arguably ineffective government policies and procedures. In South Africa, the pandemic and the resultant national lockdown have highlighted the shortcomings in the protection and care of children. Children in alternative care are particularly at risk as a result of disrupted and uncoordinated service delivery. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and impact of the pandemic and the resulting social isolation on the wellbeing and protection of children living in a residential care facility. METHODS AND PARTICIPANTS: We used qualitative, participatory approaches - specifically draw-and-write methods - to engage with 32 children (average age = 13.5 years) living in a residential care facility in Gauteng. FINDINGS: Children in care demonstrated an awareness of the socio-economic difficulties facing communities in South Africa, and shared deep concerns about the safety, well-being and welfare of parents and siblings. Although they expressed frustration at the lack of contact with family members, they acknowledged the resources they had access to in a residential care facility, which enabled them to cope and which ensured their safety. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: We focus our discussion on the necessity of a systemic response to child welfare, including a coordinated approach by policy makers, government departments and child welfare systems to address the structural factors at the root of inequality and inadequate, unacceptable care. This response is essential not only during COVID-19 but also in pre- and post-pandemic context.

Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on child protection medical assessments: a retrospective observational study in Birmingham, UK.

OBJECTIVES: To determine any change in referral patterns and outcomes in children (0-18) referred for child protection medical examination (CPME) during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with previous years. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study, analysing routinely collected clinical data from CPME reports in a rapid response to the pandemic lockdown. SETTING: Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust, which provides all routine CPME for Birmingham, England, population 1.1 million including 288 000 children. PARTICIPANTS: Children aged under 18 years attending CPME during an 18-week period from late February to late June during the years 2018-2020. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Numbers of referrals, source of disclosure and outcomes from CPME. RESULTS: There were 78 CPME referrals in 2018, 75 in 2019 and 47 in 2020, this was a 39.7% (95% CI 12.4% to 59.0%) reduction in referrals from 2018 to 2020, and a 37.3% (95% CI 8.6% to 57.4%) reduction from 2019 to 2020. There were fewer CPME referrals initiated by school staff in 2020, 12 (26%) compared with 36 (47%) and 38 (52%) in 2018 and 2019, respectively. In all years 75.9% of children were known to social care prior to CPME, and 94% of CPME concluded that there were significant safeguarding concerns. CONCLUSIONS: School closure due to COVID-19 may have harmed children as child abuse has remained hidden. There needs to be either mandatory attendance at schools in future or viable alternatives found. There may be a significant increase in safeguarding referrals when schools fully reopen as children disclose the abuse they have experienced at home.

Reporting of child maltreatment during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in New York City from March to May 2020.

BACKGROUND: School closures and other public health responses have decreased the extent that children interact with mandated reporters and other professionals trained to detect child maltreatment. OBJECTIVE: To assess associations between the pandemic public health response and the number of allegations of child abuse or neglect. METHODS: This study analyzed monthly data from New York City of the number of child maltreatment allegations, stratified by reporter type (e.g., mandated reporter, education personnel, healthcare personnel), as well as the number of Child Protective Services (CPS) investigations warranting child welfare preventative services. SARIMA models were trained using data from January 2015 to February 2020 to predict expected values for March, April, and May 2020. Observed values were compared against predicted values at an alpha of .05. RESULTS: Substantially fewer allegations of child maltreatment were reported than expected in March (-28.8 %, deviation: 1848, 95 % CI: [1272, 2423]), April (-51.5 %, deviation: 2976, 95 % CI: [2382, 3570]), and May 2020 (-46.0 %, deviation: 2959, 95 % CI: [2347, 3571]). Significant decreases in child maltreatment reporting were also noted for all reporter subtypes examined for March, April, and May 2020. Fewer CPS investigations warranted preventative services than expected in March 2020 (-43.5 %, deviation: 303, 95 % CI: [132, 475]). CONCLUSIONS: Precipitous drops in child maltreatment reporting and child welfare interventions coincided with social distancing policies designed to mitigate COVID-19 transmission. In light of these findings, educators and healthcare providers must be especially vigilant when engaging online with children and their families for signs of child abuse and/or neglect.

Screening for economic hardship for child welfare-involved families during the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid partnership response.

BACKGROUND: Pandemics have a wide range of economic, health and social consequences related to both the spread of a disease and efforts made by government leaders to contain it which may be particularly detrimental for the child welfare-involved population. This is because child welfare agencies serve some of the highest needs children and families. A significant proportion of these families face economic hardship, and as a result of containment measures for COVID-19, more families inevitably will. OBJECTIVE: Given the range of negative consequences related to the pandemic and the evolving supports available to families, child protection workers needed a clinical tool to guide and support work with families informed by an understanding of economic hardship. The objective of this paper is to report on the development and implementation strategy of a tool to be used for practice intervention during the pandemic. METHODS: Action research methodology was utilized in the creation of the clinical tool. The tool's development and implementation occurred through an academic/child welfare sector partnership involving child welfare agencies representing diverse regions and populations in Ontario, Canada. Factor analysis of representative child welfare data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect 2018 (OIS-2018) on economic hardship was used to inform the development of questions on the clinical tool. RESULTS: The development and implementation strategy of the clinical tool are described, including the results from analyses of the OIS-2018. CONCLUSIONS: Future directions for the project are discussed, including considerations for using this tool beyond the pandemic.

Brazilian Child Protection Professionals' Resilient Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic deeply affected child protection professionals. One potential area of concern is whether and how the pandemic has dampened these individuals' ability to engage in the resilient practices that are so vital to their wellbeing. OBJECTIVE: Within the unique and understudied context of a developing economy facing the strain of an international pandemic, this study sought to expand our theoretical understanding of the individual and socio-ecological predictors of whether child protective services professionals engage in resilient behaviors. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Three hundred and nine professionals working in child protection related fields (e.g., psychologists, social workers, professors, pediatricians, nurses, and other clinicians). METHODS: Participants were surveyed as to their demographics, current work conditions, their engagement in resilient behaviors, and potential individual and socio-ecological predictors of those behaviors. RESULTS: Both job support for and individuals' beliefs of the importance of resilient behaviors predicted their engagement in such behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Child protection professionals' resilience must be fostered by socio-ecological contexts, such as their workplace and employers, and additional supports are needed during the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Oh, this is actually okay": Understanding how one state child welfare training system adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Training for new and existing child protection system (CPS) caseworkers is critical to developing and maintaining a competent workforce that effectively works towards safety, permanency, and wellbeing outcomes for children in the system. The COVID-19 pandemic required a shift to virtual training to continue training CPS professionals safely. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our project was to determine if there were differences in learning outcomes between learners who completed training in the usual delivery methods (Pre-COVID) and the fully virtual delivery methods (Post-COVID). We also sought to understand any factors that facilitated or impeded successful virtual training during the pandemic. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Caseworkers-in-training completed learning and satisfaction assessments through standard continuing quality improvement efforts. Training facilitators, course developers, and leadership completed qualitative interviews. METHODS: We assessed quantitative differences in one US state in learner knowledge, satisfaction, and behaviors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of interviews with training system employees. RESULTS: Overall, there were limited differences in learner outcomes before and after the transition to virtual training delivery. Across the employee interviews, three main themes emerged: organizational culture facilitated the transition, external constraints caused challenges during the transition, and there were opportunities to evolve training practices positively. CONCLUSIONS: The shift to a virtual learning environment had little impact on learner knowledge or satisfaction. Employee perspectives indicated that the pre-COVID investment in organizational culture has substantial dividends for performance during the crisis.

Child safety, protection, and safeguarding in the time of COVID-19 in Great Britain: Proposing a conceptual framework.

BACKGROUND: Great Britain has the highest coronavirus death rate in Europe. While the pandemic clearly poses a risk to the lives and wellbeing of vulnerable groups, necessary public health measures taken to delay or limit the spread of the virus have led to distinctive challenges for prevention, family support, court processes, placement and alternative care. The pandemic has also come about at a time when statutory changes to partnerships have led to a reduction in the importance of educational professional representation in the new formulation in England and Wales. OBJECTIVES: In this discussion paper, we propose a novel and pragmatic conceptual framework during this challenging time. PARTICIPANTS: We consulted with 8 education professionals and 4 field-based student social workers. SETTING: Bodies responsible for safeguarding have been working quickly to develop new approaches to fulfilling their responsibilities, for example through online home visits and case conferences. However, some communities have been highlighted as experiencing particular challenges because of the pandemic and its impacts. Protection of vulnerable children is increasingly dependent on individualised - and often pathologising - practice with a lack of emphasis on the importance of the social. Holistic consideration of the child is side-lined. RESULTS: Our framework comprises two phases: pandemic and aspirational. CONCLUSION: The framework illuminates the importance of interconnected sectors and multi-agency working, the need for resilient and adaptable support systems, and the need to promote the importance of children's rights and voices to be heard above the noise of the pandemic.