North Central Missouri Children's Advocacy Center

It’s back to school time and that means crazy busy schedules, carpooling and getting the family back into a routine. In all the excitement, it is important to take the time to educate children and remind your teens of “stranger danger.” This is a crazy world we live in, and even though we live in safe communities, the threat is real for our children and teens.

CBS News recently shared an important piece on child welfare workers and Children's Advocacy Center staff during the current pandemic. Unfortunately child abuse does not decline when the rest of the world is isolating. There is actually likely an increase as stress levels are high and families are more isolated than ever. Thank you to all of those who are continuing to work to keep children safe!!

CBS Child Welfare video

April was child abuse awareness month! The pinwheel is the national symbol for child abuse prevention. One of our biggest jobs here at the Advocacy Center is not only to raise awareness for child abuse, but to teach communities signs and symptoms of child abuse so that they know exactly what to look for. Since COVID-19 has caused daycares and schools to shut down, hotline calls have dropped by more than 50%!! We know that child abuse is happening, it’s just not getting reported. Scary right? If you suspect a child is being abused, please call the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline number at 1-800-392-3738. If you have any questions about child abuse feel free to call us at 660-359-2874. #Essential4Kids

Photo: Child & Family Advocate Ashlay Berry provided awareness by putting pinwheels in the 5 points park here in Trenton, MO. Thank you Ashlay!

Thank you to the Grundy County Health Department for providing us with this sign reminding people of the importance of wearing masks, keeping our hands clean and practicing social distancing. We are continuing our safety precautions here at the Advocacy Center such as limiting the amount of people in the building at any given time, providing masks and hand sanitizer upon request, allowing an hour in between appointments to allow for disinfecting the premises and continuing to do as much as we can remotely. The staff at the Advocacy Center has been conducting all meetings via Zoom and has cancelled all events and trainings. Also, we are providing a telehealth service for counseling so that we can continue to provide mental health services while continuing to keep ourselves and the families we serve safe. Please continue to follow these safety precautions as we all continue to do our part to get through the COVID-19 crisis.  #Essential4Kids

A lot of child abuse reports come from places like school systems, churches and sports facilities — all places children don’t have access to right now because of the coronavirus. With the focus on COVID-19, our advocacy center is doing our part to make sure families are even more prepared. But It's everyone's responsibility to keep children safe, spot the signs of abuse and report concerns. We all need to play our part by checking in with families and reaching out for support and advice if we have any concerns. #Essential4Kids

We would like to thank ProCure Hope for their donation of masks to the Advocacy Center. Your assistance provides essential workers with additional safeguards as they continue to perform their daily responsibilities. By working together, we can help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. #procurehope

#Essential4Kids

P

We have had some questions about whether we are still open for business and conducting forensic interviews during this time of social distancing.  The answer is yes.  The safety of children is a priority.  The change in their routine, care, home confinement, etc., can cause a change in behavior and put them at a higher risk of abuse.  Here are the guidelines we are using at this time:

1. It is business as usual for forensic interviews providing the child has been fever free without medication for 24 hours.  We ask for MDT assistance in assessing this prior to scheduling.  We will assess while on-site as well.
2. We request only one caretaker bring only the victim child(ren).
3. We will be spacing our interviews out a little further to allow for extra cleaning between interviews.
4. We ask that MDT also attend only if they are not ill and have been fever free without medication for 24 hours.
5. We ask you to consider delaying non-emergency interviews if you want to attend the interview and have been in contact with a co-worker or have a family member that is exhibiting signs of a respiratory illness or fever.
6. We are making available to the family and MDT information on COVID-19 and the use of hand sanitizer while on site.
7. Counseling has been discontinued at this time however families may expect some contact via phone.
8. All in-person meetings, including Case Reviews will be conducted via web conferencing.  A few already scheduled have been put on hold until such time it can be determined all partners have access to do this.
9. Community and fundraising events have been cancelled at this time, some expected to be rescheduled.

We thank you for grace and understanding and know that there is great struggle on your end as well.  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.  Our office will remain open at this time.

Sincerely,

Verna Kelsey

Executive Director

#Essential4Kids

Child and Family Advocate, Ashlay Berry presented the Darkness to Light's: Stewards of Children child sexual abuse training to the teachers and staff at the Laredo R-VII school district. Since teachers spend a majority of the time with your children during the year, it is very important that they are trained to spot the signs of child sexual abuse, how to respond when a child discloses abuse, and how to report the abuse. Thank you for doing your part in keeping our children safe!