by Catherine Candisky • April 2, 2009 COLUMBUS --
Ohio's sinking economy might be causing a spike in reports of child abuse and neglect.
For the first time, new allegations of abuse and neglect topped 100,000, according to a statewide survey released yesterday.
The report by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio found that in 2007, reports of abuse and neglect statewide were up 14 percent from 2005.
In Franklin County, allegations increased 16 percent.
Children's advocates say job loss and increasing poverty are causing stress among Ohio families.
Parenting can be challenging when struggling to pay the bills and keep food on the table, and those pressures sometimes play out against children, said Greg Kapcar, assistant legislative director for the Public Children Services Association.
The situation probably is worse than reflected in the report's 2007 data, he noted, because unemployment has risen from 5.6 percent then to 9.4 percent now.
Eric Fenner, executive director of Franklin County Children Services, said the county's spike might be attributed to a few highly publicized cases in 2007. Such cases typically result in an increase in reports, he said.
Regardless of the reason, the increase in new allegations, which triggers state-mandated investigations within 24 hours, raises concern about the pro- posed funding cuts to child- protective services in Gov. Ted Strickland's state budget plan.
Under his proposed two-year budget, $62 million in federal welfare money that is set aside for Ohio's 88 counties and generally used for protective services would be diverted to the state's subsidized child-care program.
County officials say it's hard to meet an increasing demand for services when cuts in state aid are forcing most local children service agencies to lay off caseworkers.
The $62 million loss would be the latest in a series of funding cuts during the past year.
Judy Wauford, director of the Hancock County Department of Job and Family Services, which includes child-protective services, said she will have lost most of her funding for protective services and a good chunk of her staff.
Without a local children services tax to generate revenue, the county relies heavily on state and federal funding, she said.
About half of Ohio's counties, including Franklin, have local levies for children services, which have blunted the impact of state cuts.
The report also found that fewer children were in state custody and that when removal from their home is necessary, children are in temporary care for shorter periods.
Although race is not considered a risk factor for abuse and neglect, the report noted that 40 percent of children in protective custody are black. African-Americans make up only 15 percent of children living in the state.
Original article, Dispatch Politics - a Division of Columbus Dispatch retrieved on April 7, 2009