ederal Administration for Children and Families [ACF]'s mission-related issues and programs affected by COVID-19. As the COVID-19 public health emergency continues to evolve, ACF provides links to the latest CDC information and pertinent federal guidance, along with relevant resources to support grantees, partners, and stakeholders support children, families, and communities in need during this challenging time.
Second Step Recommendations for Teaching Remotely - Child Protection Unit: Guides adaptation of the Second Step® child protection unit curriculum to the context of remote learning. This curriculum from the Committee for Children is available for students in Pre-K through elementary grade levels.
Child Welfare: Pandemic Posed Challenges, but also Created Opportunities for Agencies to Enhance Future Operations (GAO-21-483): Examines how child welfare agencies have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The US Government Accountability Office [GAO] surveyed administrators in all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Officials reported declines in child abuse reports and concerns about unreported cases, as children had less contact with mandated reporters such as teachers. The pandemic also delayed child welfare hearings. At the same time, officials in most areas reported using federal relief funds to provide families with assistance (e.g. formula and diapers). They have expanded, and may continue after the pandemic abates, to provide virtual services, such as for visits between children in foster care and biological families.
Protecting Children During the COVID-19 Outbreak: Shares most recent data and informative updates to protect children from COVID-19 and related risks of violence. The End Violence Against Children community emphasizes the vulnerability of children during this time while addressing short-term and far-reaching implications impacting individuals’ work.
COVID-19: Heightened Risk of Abuse and Neglect: Summarizes how child protection risks (physical and emotional maltreatment, gender-based violence, mental health and psycho-social distress, child labor, unaccompanied and separated children, and social exclusion) can be aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic and related social distancing and other control measures. This brief from the Children's Law Center at the University of South Carolina can inform ongoing vigilance of mandated reporters (including educators) and other community members.
Preventing and Responding to Family Violence During COVID-19: Webinar Series: Provides archived recordings, FAQ documents and slide decks for each session in a 4-part on-line series produced for SAMHSA by the MHTTC Network and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Via telehealth, providers are getting a glimpse into clients’ home lives and they are encountering complex family interactions all during a time of stress and danger, with community supports challenged to respond. Webinars in this series use case examples and dialogue between experts from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) to address critical questions that mental health providers are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Webinar topics in the series included: Supporting Families of Young Children at Risk for Ongoing Domestic Violence; Addressing Family Conflict in the Time of COVID-19; Minimizing Risk for Conflict/Coercion in Families with School-Age Children; and (en español) When the Monsters Live with Us: Reflections on the Intersection of Structural Inequities, COVID-19 and Intimate Partner Violence and its impact on Young Children in Latin American Families. Experts devoted the first segment of each hour-long session to a specific topic, and then addressed questions submitted by registrants.
Intimate Partner Violence and Child Abuse Considerations During COVID-19: Expresses concern about potential for a dramatic rise in incidence of intimate partner violence, and of physical abuse and neglect of children by parents, as a result of increased household stress levels, and diminished support systems due to social d