Reference no: EM133949891

Question

According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Department website, child abuse and neglect cases rose 25% in 2020 (OCSD, 2020). This caused many children to need emergency placement into foster or shelter care and requiring social services. The increased numbers strained financial resources on the limited shelters providing care/resources for children in my area. According to Okaloosa County court reports, 527 victims reported neglect, and physical/sexual abuse in 2019. Most of these cases were reported in the last half of 2019 and there are no current reports for 2020 or 2021 available. Authorities believe that catalysts to this rise in abuse are socioeconomical stress, increased substance abuse, and increase in mental health cases related to the COVID pandemic. The CDC website states that child abuse and neglect is common with 1 in 7 children experiencing abuse. "In 2019, 1,840 children died of abuse and neglect in the United States" (cdc.gov, 2021).

There is a concerning lack of resources that provide shelter and services to abused children/families in my county. The Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy Center (ECCAC) is the only center I found in my area that provides these services to children only. Their services include free mental health therapy, financial assistance, on-site medical evaluations, and collaboration with law enforcement and mental health providers to educate the community on abuse and resources available. Shelter House is another agency that supports victims of domestic violence and sexual assault for both children and adults. Shelter House in a 36-bed, non-profit organization that provides victims with free 24-hour hotline support, emergency shelter, crisis counseling, transitional housing, play-therapy for children, on-site pet kennels, and hospital accompaniment for victims of abuse. According to their website, Shelter House is the only state certified sexual and domestic violence center servicing Okaloosa and Walton counties (Shelter House, 2021).

The CHN would be able to help by providing at risk families home/on-site visits to assess parent-child interaction and promote positive parental knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and coping skills. Partnering up with these shelters/ agencies to offer holistic nursing approaches and education covering healthy coping skills, self-care, and healthy nourishment classes would be a fun and interactive way to encourage families to participate in their care. Support, identification, and education is key to prevent future incidents of abuse in the community.