Betty White marks 99th birthday Sunday; up late as she wants

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Casey: Peaceful transfer of power is testament to strength of democracy

Pennsylvania is home to many voiceless, neglected groups, but one particular group has been significantly harmed by policies that keep schools closed and force students to stay home: abused and neglected children.
				Just because we are not hearing about them does not mean that they are okay. I think we will look back on this time in our history as the darkest days for children, especially those who do not live in safe homes.
				At-risk children and families who were already struggling before the pandemic need to get back to school in-person. We have heard from medical experts, education advocates and now stark data that shows an increasing education and socialization gap facing all children who have been forced to turn to remote learning, including those who have the means and resources for robust home education experiences. In addition, parents across the nation have often faced the difficult decision of being at work full-time or staying home to help their children during remote school hours.
				If well-supported families who do not usually struggle financially or emotionally are reaching a breaking point, then how are our families faring who were already hurting?
				The classroom has long been a safe haven. Teachers are the top reporters of child abuse and neglect, and these reports have been down. In the pandemic teachers and counselors struggle to virtually connect with students. It is very difficult to see physical signs of abuse on a Zoom call let alone have a child confide in someone in order to get help.
				To make matters even worse, the fuel that adds to the fire of already difficult home situations for at-risk and already abused and neglected children has only gotten worse during the pandemic.
				Alcohol sales have skyrocketed, domestic violence is on the rise, unemployment is the highest in generations, and mental health conditions have been exacerbated. Without school lunches more children are left hungrier. Supervisory neglect is occurring resulting in physical injuries and online predators have more access to our youth.
				Recently at the annual Child Abuse Summit hosted by the Center For Children&rsquo;s Justice, a group of renowned child abuse pediatricians voiced concerns that the number of children accidentally ingesting drugs was rising. One hospital reported that ingestions were up 4.5 times and opiate ingestions were up 12 times. There were a greater number of child fatalities and near fatalities also reported.
				While I was heartened to see a change in recommendation from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Pennsylvania Department of Education to get elementary school students back in the classroom, it is only a recommendation, and one that comes too late for many school-aged children.
				For months, I have joined colleagues in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to call on Wolf administration officials to work to find an in-classroom solution for our students to provide them, and their families, the consistency, certainty, and safety that comes with in-person education. Those requests have not been met with the urgent response that our children are entitled to and deserve, particularly those that are most at risk.
				After multiple requests for information on how COVID-19 was actually impacting children&rsquo;s physical health, I had to file a Right To Know Request to the Department of Health in order to obtain the information I was seeking.
				The most recent data showed that four or fewer children have died of complications from COVID-19 since the pandemic started through the month of October 2020. However, 936 children had died of all other causes during that same time. I am waiting for the department to release to us what the breakdown is for the causes of these deaths and how many were caused by abuse and neglect.
				It is time for children to go back into the classroom. The children of the pandemic can wait no longer. For many, it is a life saver.

Their view: Abuse risks rise for children without in-school option