Protecting children and families in the face of COVID-19

The task of serving abused, neglected, and exploited children is tireless, emotional, painful, and downright difficult. The new challenges around COVID-19 are making that job even tougher. Studies show that in times of uncertainty, the risk of abuse and neglect increases.

This issue brief identifies key actions that child welfare agencies can take to support their workforce as well as children and families. Within the brief, five immediate actions are detailed:

1. Establish governance
2. Develop an outreach and communications plan
3. Use data to understand needs and impacts
4. Evaluate capacity
5. Address change management