Calls to the state’s child abuse hotline are down dramatically, and that’s not necessarily a good thing, says Department of Social Services Acting Director Jennifer Tidball.
The drop could be because citizens assume operations are suspended or the more serious reality that children do not have access to some mandated reporters: teachers, school nurses, and daycare workers.
“We typically do see this when we have school out, but it’s much more substantial than we would have expected,” she said in a press conference with Gov. Parson over the weekend.
The Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is 800-392-3738 and calls are anonymous.
“We will not close,” Tidball asserts.
“We understand that families are sheltered close together and there is a lot of anxiety. We just want to make sure that we as a community, and we as Missourians, are able to keep kids safe.”
