RE: child maltreatment and economic hard times

["Sherrill Clark" <sjclark@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Chapin Hall just came out with a new report examining the financial
resources of foster (including kincare) parents in Illinois which is
relevant to this topic also:

Smithgall, C., DeCoursey, J., & Goerge, R. (2008) Does money matter? Foster
parenting and
family finances. Chicago: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

There are some references to what they call financial strain and how that
affects families and child development issues. 

Sherrill Clark

-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-3378802-7059115@list.cornell.edu
[mailto:bounce-3378802-7059115@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of
lfontes@rcn.com
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 5:15 PM
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
Subject: RE: child maltreatment and economic hard times

To folow up on Sherrill Clark's thought, some local examples that might
increase the possibility of abuse/neglect do not even concern social service
agencies per se:
* In our area one city public library was closed down and others have
greatly reduced hours due to budget cuts. The community library serves as a
source of safe childcare for families who don't have a lot of options.
Instead, the kids are left at home alone.
* afterschool and before-school programs are shut down.
* public schools cut back from fullday kindergarten to half-day. Extended
hours are possible--at a cost
* health clinic stops holding Saturday hours, requiring patients to access
emergency rooms with long waits, which undoubtedly makes some parents just
"wait until Monday."
* budget cutbacks make agencies reduce their use of interpreters or rely on
problematic telephone interpreting services.
* caretakers post-pone "elective" medical procedures for themselves and
their children, both directly and indirectly impacting children's
well-being.
* reduced availability of drug & alcohol treatment programs
* lack of jobs that pay a living wage causes caretakers to hold multiple
positions and neglect their children

I could go on and on but this is mighty depressing! Let's hope the new year
brings better times for all.
Lisa Fontes, Ph.D.

---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 11:27:39 -0800
>From: "Sherrill  Clark" <sjclark@berkeley.edu>
>Subject: RE: child maltreatment and economic hard times
>To: "'Child Maltreatment Researchers'" 
><child-maltreatment-research-l@list.cornell.edu>
>Cc: <sbates@smtpgate.dphe.state.co.us>,"'Ying-Ying Yuan'" 
><yyyuan@wrma.com>
>
>In addition to family characteristics, we might also consider that in 
>economic hard times there are fewer resources available to families 
>(staff losses due to budget cuts, non profits that go out of business, 
>change their focus, close storefront community-based centers, or the 
>cost of services to families goes up and become unaffordable.for 
>example) to prevent distress that reaches the maltreatment level.  This 
>is a more policy-focused perspective that doesn't target the families'
deficits per se.
> 
>Sherrill Clark
>CalSWEC
>
>  _____
>
>From: bounce-3362146-7059115@list.cornell.edu
>[mailto:bounce-3362146-7059115@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of 
>Brodowski, Melissa (ACF)
>Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 8:36 PM
>To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
>Cc: sbates@smtpgate.dphe.state.co.us; Ying-Ying Yuan
>Subject: RE: child maltreatment and economic hard times
>
>
>Hi everyone -
> 
>I have a couple of related questions to Tom Hanna's posting.  Our CAPTA 
>Title II state prevention grantee from Colorado is working on a project 
>examining increases in violence (child maltreatment, sexual assault, 
>suicide and unintentional injury) during hard economic times -- quite 
>timely right now.
> 
>We know there's data and research showing the linkages between poverty 
>and child maltreatment (and being at-risk).  The National Incidence 
>Study-3 findings demonstrate that family income was significantly 
>related to incidence rates in nearly every category of maltreatment. 
>Compared to children whose families earned $30,000 per year or more, 
>those in families with annual incomes below $15,000 per year were more 
>than 22 times more likely to experience some form of maltreatment under 
>the Harm Standard (and over 25 times more likely to suffer maltreatment 
>of some type using the Endangerment Standard).  This is consistent with 
>the findings of many different studies that children do not fare well 
>in poorer families compared to nonpoor families.  For more information on
NIS-3 visit:
><http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/statsinfo/nis3.cfm#family>
>http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/statsinfo/nis3.cfm#family  (and NIS-4 
>should be coming out soon to update this information)
> 
>I also emailed Ying-Ying Yuan who manages the technical assistance 
>contract for our National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS).  
>She reminded me that in Beyond Common Sense, they showed that in poorer 
>counties, there were higher rates of maltreatment. She added that since 
>CPS decisions about maltreatment are related to reporting, it is highly 
>likely that increases in maltreatment will be found due to poverty IF
reporting increases. In periods
>of economic stress, reporting may increase or it may decrease.   
> 
>So-- the questions I wanted to pose to the listserve are:
>
>*	
>
>	Are you aware of any resources/research linking economic hard times 
>and increases in child maltreatment? Are there studies that show any 
>shifts/ trends in the incidence/ prevalence over time?
>*	
>
>	Do you have thoughts about whether there might be a decrease in the 
>reporting rates and/or child victimization rates because families being 
>diverted to other services or because of differential response systems 
>for CPS that have developed in many places across the country? Are 
>there studies that have examined this?
>
>Thanks for your help with this.
>
>Melissa
>
>Melissa Lim Brodowski, MSW, MPH
>Office on Child Abuse and Neglect
>Children's Bureau, ACYF, ACF, HHS
>1250 Maryland Avenue SW
>Portals Building, 8th Floor #8127
>Washington, DC 20024
>phone:  202-205-2629
>fax:  202-260-9345
>email: melissa.brodowski@acf.hhs.gov
> 
> 
>
>  _____
>
>From: bounce-3361204-6833993@list.cornell.edu on behalf of Tom Hanna
>Sent: Thu 12/4/2008 7:08 PM
>To: child-maltreatment-research-l@cornell.edu
>Subject: What do Today's Neglect Cases Look Like?
>
>
>
>Dear Colleagues:
>
>I have some anecdotal reports that child neglect has recently become a 
>bigger issue in some populations, and that the nature of the new 
>neglect patterns may relate to "modern" stressors.  Nothing specific, 
>but I am wondering -- what neglect issues are you seeing or hearing 
>about now, and are they any different than what you saw 5 years ago?
>
>Are there any key papers I should be consulting? Especially on shifts 
>in incidence patterns, or in proven prevention strategies in direct 
>service and/or in public awareness campaigns?
>
>I am hoping to apply what I learn to public awareness campaigns in the 
>next few months -- and maybe this will be of use to all of us in 
>developing research strategies on both the intervention and prevention 
>sides of the neglect picture.
>
>Any input appreciated.
>
>--Thanks
>--Tom
>
>--
>--
>Tom Hanna, Director
>Child Abuse Prevention Network
>www.child-abuse.com
>tom@child-abuse.com
>tph3@cornell.edu
>off 607.275.9360
>cel 607.227.4524
>fax: 415.962.0510
>--
>
>
>
>
>________________
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