Fresno-area officials fear child abuse going unreported amid coronavirus quarantine

Apr. 7--Fresno County child welfare investigators worry many child abuse cases may be left unreported while residents shelter amid the coronavirus pandemic -- leaving young victims locked inside with their abusers.

Tricia Gonzalez, director of child welfare at the Fresno County Department of Social Services, said abuse reports are down about 36% since mid-March when Fresno County began shuttering all nonessential functions.

But she said she doesn't believe there's been less abuse. She said she worries the pressure of the public health crisis, coupled with growing financial struggles, has left many children stuck in a bad situation.

"The tension is going to be higher, so it makes sense," she said.

Gonzalez said reports are down likely because most schools are closed and the lion's share of reports are made by school staffers who are required by law to report any suspected neglect or abuse. She said in the next couple of weeks, "our numbers will probably go up."

Statewide, there was an 18% drop in child maltreatment referrals in March compared to a year ago, according to Scott Murray, a spokesman for the California Department of Social Services.

"Community members play an important role in protecting children from abuse and neglect," he said in an email. "Anyone who is worried about the health or safety of a child is encouraged to call the local CPS hotline in the county where the child lives."

Advocates for victims of domestic violence have shared similar concerns, as infections mount along with massive spikes in unemployment.

One child welfare employee, who spoke to The Bee on condition of anonymity, said investigating conditions inside homes has become more complicated. Some workers haven't received masks or gloves and many share department vehicles that she said haven't been sanitized between shifts.

And child welfare officials are struggling to figure out how to move forward on their open cases, many of which require a string of legal hearings that remain in limbo while courts remain closed.

Gonzalez said adoption cases, child visitation and detention hearings have also been jammed up since the outbreak began in Fresno County.

As Gonzalez's division grapples with a growing list of issues, she described dealing with runaway foster teens from group homes as perhaps her department's "biggest challenge."

Some foster teens living in short-term residential therapeutic homes tend to run away and come back, leaving the door open to possible coronavirus exposure while away from home.

"It kind of puts the whole household at risk and my staff," she said.

Court cases in limbo

Children from 11 different families have been removed from their homes since the pandemic reached Fresno County.

But hearings tied to those removals -- which by law are bound to strict time frames for court filings -- have stayed on hold while the courts remain dark.

"Kids who were removed have not had a detention hearing," Gonzalez said last week. "That's a big impact."

The court must make specific findings during the first removal hearing for the case to be eligible for foster care funding, Murray said.

Gonzalez estimated her child welfare division had missed about 250 child court hearings as of late last week. That includes a wide range of hearings, such as for abuse cases and reunification cases, among others.

On average, Gonzalez's division has anywhere between 500 to 600 court hearings per month.

"People cannot finalize their adoptions. Others can't close their cases," she said.

Federal funding for the department always has been tied to local departments meeting time tables and pushing cases through the system. Gonzalez said she's concerned her department could lose some federal money that funds a variety of functions -- and jobs -- and the government has yet to address the uncertainty.

The department receives nearly $10 million in federal funds each year.

"We would not lose all of our funding, it would just be on the specific cases, but the longer that it goes, the impact will add up more and more," Gonzalez said of cases that haven't had a court hearing.

In a March 27 letter, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, says the Children's Bureau is "aware of questions and concerns regarding a number of child welfare issues in light of the COVID-19 public health emergency."

One of those issues, the letter says, is whether the Children's Bureau can waive legally required judicial proceedings tied to funding.

The Children's Bureau "cannot waive these statutory requirements but expects that courts and states will work together to determine how best to balance child-safety related statutory requirements against public-health mandates," the letter reads.

The Children's Bureau also asked the courts to "refrain from making sweeping, blanket orders ceasing, suspending or postponing court hearings."

Workers at risk

Most of the social workers already had tablets and could work pretty much from anywhere, which helps under the current circumstances.

But child welfare workers remain vulnerable on multiple fronts.

"Our staff are really the first responders and we are going to continue to respond throughout the crisis," Gonzalez said. "Often, people don't think about us in these types of times, but my staff are out there doing a great job."

One Fresno-area child welfare employee who spoke to The Bee, and asked not to be named, questioned why some in the department had to buy their masks while other first responders received them from the city.

"We are not included as being important," the employee said. "We are left out of that."

Nonetheless, they still have to go out and respond to calls that put them at risk.

"I'm worried I'm going to bring that home," the employee said of the coronavirus.

The added health concerns come on top of the already-stressful job of going into homes to investigate reports of neglect and abuse.

"It's a scary situation when you are going into a home and you are not wanted," the employee said.

Jordan Scott, a spokesman for Fresno County, said child welfare workers placed in difficult situations have "been provided with masks and gloves as well as sanitizing wipes for their vehicles."

"That's the policy we're going by to ensure our front line responders and those we serve are protected to the best of our ability," he said in an email. "I know we face the same challenges as everyone else in maintaining a large supply of protective equipment that's in such high demand, so we do have to prioritize what we have for those who must be in close contact with others."

Visitations moved to video calls

Fresno courts on March 25 halted in-person visitations between foster children and their parents or guardians as a safety precaution against the coronavirus.

The order remains in effect until April 30 but could be extended as the public health crisis progresses.

A three-way video call has now replaced the in-person supervised visitations. Telephone calls can be used for parents who don't have the technology to support video calling.

And many scheduled visitation sessions have been pushed back and delayed as child welfare waited for approval to suspend in-person visitations.

Gonzalez said her staff recently ordered about 50 cellphones for teenage foster children.

"I will say that in the few that I have seen, I think people are just very happy to see each other and to know that they are both safe on both sides," Gonzalez said of the video visitations.

Tammy Johnson, press secretary for Rep. Jim Costa, who represents California's16th District, said the Democratic congressman from Fresno "is very concerned about how COVID-19 is impacting all segments of the community, including our most vulnerable children."

Johnson said Costa flew back to D.C. to ensure that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as CARES Act, passed. The act provides some funding for certain child welfare services.

Costa, she said, will continue to work for more resources in a fourth bill in the works from Congress, but didn't elaborate.

Resources for families

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: Call 800-422-4453 to speak with a professional crisis counselor who can provide assistance in more than 170 languages.

National Parent Helpline: Call 855-427-2736 Monday -- Friday from 10 a.m. -- 7 p.m. to get emotional support from a trained Parent Advocate.

List of child welfare departments across California: www.cdss.ca.gov/county-offices

Foster care recruitment and training information

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