Local Caregivers See Lingering Effects Of Pandemic On Kids

PORT CHESTER, NY — The full effects of the global pandemic might not be known for decades to come, but a medical clinic on the front lines of caring for the Hudson Valley's most vulnerable is reporting that incidents of child abuse and neglect are on the rise in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Lindsay Neptune, a nurse practitioner and Director of School-Based Health Clinical Services at Open Door Family Medical Center in Port Chester and Ossining, cites the example of the nine-year-old who stayed home alone for a week while recovering from COVID.

"The parent, after being out of work for months during the height of the pandemic, had started a new job, a minimum wage job without a lot of support, and she had to make a decision about going to work or staying home to take care of her child and potentially losing her job," Neptune explained. "She ended up leaving the child at home."

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According to Open Door, this type of "unintentional" child neglect and abuse, often a result of increased caregiver stress and isolation, has contributed to a troubling spike in cases in New York since the start of the pandemic.

While Neptune says she doesn’t often see the more obvious signs of child abuse or neglect, like bruises, shabby clothing, poor personal hygiene, she does see some of its mental health manifestations, like anxiety and depression.

There may also be signs of food insecurity.

"People are struggling with so many things and have more burdens and all of these other factors that didn’t exist before the pandemic," Neptune said. "These parents are in difficult situations because there are only so many things they can keep straight and it’s often the kids that suffer unintentionally."

The good news is that there is help available, but only once the problems are acknowledged. Neptune said she strongly encourages parents like the parent of the nine-year-old not to keep silent, but to acknowledge their struggles.

"They need to let us know and we will try to support them," Neptune said. "We could have reached out to her job to see if something could have been worked out for her to work shorter hours that week. There may have been a neighbor or family member who could have helped. There may be community resources available or someone through their church to help. It’s not safe to leave a sick nine-year-old alone. There are often too many things for parents to juggle and sometimes they can’t think through the problem-solving part of the puzzle."

As families continue "playing catch up" in making up for the lost time and isolation they experienced during the pandemic, it’s the teachers, social workers and health care clinicians that see the students at school that can often spot issues before they become more serious, according to officials at Open Door.

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Physical abuse and neglect happen when frustrations and stress run high, Neptune said.

That's why social workers at the elementary, middle and high schools, where Open Door’s school-based centers are located, work with struggling families to find solutions.

When necessary, the clinic may contact Child Protective Services (CPS) to access additional support for struggling parents and keep children safe. And while the goal is always to keep parents and their children together, if the situation is severe CPS may assist with placements for kids who are better removed from unsafe situations, even temporarily, Neptune said.

"Teachers often spend more time with kids than anyone and if they notice a change and tell us, 'this is not the same kid as in September,' that's very concerning," Neptune said. "We take that very seriously. When a teacher approaches us about a student, we will bring the student in and have a conversation with them and their parents."

The amount of support families need is even greater when children display behavioral health issues, according to the organization. This increased dramatically during the pandemic, particularly among those families treated by Open Door who tend to have lower incomes and less technology literacy and access.

"Trying to teach a six-year-old how to read on a computer isn’t very easy and this can lead to acting out and other behavioral issues, particularly among younger kids," Neptune explained. "It can lead to a very toxic environment. Parents are very frustrated and exhausted and many have no support systems and may be struggling with money and work. On a regular day it was hard, but not this hard. And it’s not going away."

Neptune believes that families will have to figure out their place in what she refers to as "a new normal."

"People say, 'I don’t know what to do,'" Neptune recounts. "We say, 'let’s figure it out together and connect you with a patient advocate and educational support and with resources you may need.' It’s just so important for people to speak up, to acknowledge that life is hard and people have challenges. We want children to be taken care of in an environment where they feel loved and safe. Don’t suffer in silence. Reach out. There is support for everyone."