Ottawa agencies joining forces to protect kids from abuse

Agencies that work to protect children and youth from abuse in Ottawa are coming together to make sure kids are getting the help they need during the pandemic.

According to experts, there's been a significant drop in reported cases of child abuse since mid-March. Withfamilies in isolation and no school, daycare or extra-curricular programs, they're worried the abuse is still happening behind closed doors, but is now going unnoticed.

"I'm worried that there are kids and young people who need some help and might not be getting the help they need right now," said pediatrician Michelle Ward, head of the child and youth protection division at CHEO.

Ward said fewer children have been coming to the hospitalsince the pandemic began, and that's actually a troublingsign.

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"While we would like to believe that that means everything is better... it just means that there aren't eyes on kids in the same way," she said. "We know from research in the past, about economic downturns for example, that we tend to see more abuse."

Ward said the pandemic has been particularly stressful for families already struggling with finances, mental health issues and addiction.

"All of those things ramp up the situation at home and make it harder for parents to parent," she said.

It takes a 'virtual village'

In an effort to better pinpoint cases, a specialtask force has been formed with members fromCHEO, the Ottawa Police Service, the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa and Ottawa Public Health.

Ward said their dailyvirtual meetings are critical for providing at-risk children and youth with support during the pandemic.

"I think it takes a village," she said. "In this case it's maybe more of a virtual village ... but it's still a village."

Child abuse reports drop during pandemic but abuse itself is likely continuing, advocate says

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Michelle Ward, head of the child and youth protection division at CHEO, says identifying kids who are experiencing abuse has been more difficult during the pandemic, leading to a decrease in reports but not necessarily a decrease in abuse itself.

The executive director of theChildren's Aid Society of Ottawasaid her agency has also been receiving fewer calls.

"We, too, are very worried," Kelly Raymond said.

Raymond said the volume of calls toher organizationhasdropped by half over the last sixweekscompared to the same period last year.

She said although child protection workers have had to rely more onvirtual meetings, they're still making in-person visits whenever necessary.

"In the most severe cases, we're still doing the face-to-face [meetings],"she said.

Raymond said advocates have also been working closely withschool boards and teachers toformulate questions for students that help gauge their well-being, even while classes are online.

"We know that children and youth have relationships with their school teachers, and so it was natural to fold them into this," she said.

If you see it, report it

Insp. Jim Elves ofthe Ottawa Police Service's specialized investigations unit confirms police have received fewer reports of abuse since families began isolating.

If you see or hear something that you just don't think is right, that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, you need to call police.- Insp. Jim Elves, Ottawa Police Service

"It's anecdotal, but our calls are way down," he said. "We have noticed a dramatic decrease, but there still are resources that we try to highlight."

Elves said it's crucialfor people to pay close attention to what's happening around them, especially when many of us are living in isolation.

"If you see or hear something that you just don't think is right, that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, you need to call police," he said. "If you're even thinking about it, make the call."