Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolution

Floor Speech

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Mrs. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleague from Arizona, Senator Sinema, in introducing legislation to support the operation of a national child abuse hotline. Of all the major national help hotlines, the crisis line for child abuse and neglect, which is currently operated by a national nonprofit, is the only one without a federal authorization and dedicated federal funding. Our bill, the National Child Abuse Help Hotline Act of 2020, would give the Administration for Children and Families the authority to award a grant to a national nonprofit to support a hotline dedicated to the prevention and intervention of child abuse and neglect. The child abuse and neglect crisis happening across the United States has only been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

On average, five children die every day from child abuse and neglect. According to the Department of Health and Human Services' Child Maltreatment Report, which was published in January 2020 and reflects 2018 figures, 678,000 children were victims of maltreatment in 2018 and a heartbreaking 1,770 children died--including three in Maine. These statistics reflect an unfortunate increase in both child fatalities and victims of maltreatment, and is the first increase for the number of victims who suffered maltreatment since 2015.

Access to prevention and intervention services nationwide has only become more critical in the face of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The current crisis threatens to severely exacerbate child abuse and neglect, and a number of experts predict that child abuse is currently being underreported. In Maine, when schools closed their doors on March 16 and stay-at-home orders went in place, calls to Maine Child and Family Services decreased immediately, falling 32 percent in the first month. Of note, only seven percent of calls were from school personnel, which is a dramatic drop from the 22 percent of teachers and other school staff--more than any other group--who call in typically to report abuse and neglect.

With stay-at-home orders, school closures, and high unemployment, families are experiencing financial stress, isolation, and new anxieties at the very time when children have less exposure to mandatory reporters--such as teachers, physicians, and coaches--and safe environments where one may normally escape or seek help. In April, Dr. Larry Ricci, a child abuse pediatrician at Spurwink, located in Portland, Maine, said ``our sense is that not only is abuse still happening at the same rate it was happening before, in all likelihood it has increased.'' Dr. Ricci pointed out that ``We've known for many years that the abuse rate mirrors the unemployment rate.'' And as Michelle Fingerman, Vice President for Childhelp, a national nonprofit and the current operator of the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline located in Arizona, details: ``There is a wide range of fallout from pandemic anxiety and school shutdowns. There is more abuse already occurring in homes where caregivers are melting down from the stress, children are trapped at home with abusers, schools and daycare are closed, and therapists and other frontline providers are now more difficult to access.''

During a time when children are not going to school, day care, or family resource centers, and, therefore, traditional resources may not be as easily accessible, the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline is a resource that is accessible to children and families across the country. The hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD, saw call volume increase by 33 percent from February to May. Childhelp's text and online chat platform, which is supported by a $1 million ACF Innovation Grant that I have advocated for as a member of the Appropriations Committee, experienced a 66 percent increase in outreach since February.

The helpline importantly serves a wide range of individuals in every single state--at-risk children, distressed parents seeking crisis intervention, and concerned individuals who suspect that child abuse may be occurring. In Maine, where one in every 71 children is a victim of abuse, the National Child Abuse Hotline assisted nearly 200 callers in fiscal year 2019. Those in need are connected--either on the phone or by text or online chat--with masters-level social workers who are there to offer confidential crisis intervention and information, literature, and referrals to emergency, social service, and support resources.

The bill we are introducing today would provide a small but meaningful federal investment to protect children across the country-- authorizing $1 million annually for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to award a grant to a nonprofit entity to support a 24- hour, national, toll-free telephone hotline that will provide information and assistance to victims of child abuse or neglect, parents, caregivers, mandated reporters, and other concerned community members. This does not interfere with any state-mandated reporter hotlines and can be a resource for these individuals. In fact, the current operator has more than 80 community partners in just Maine alone.

The helpline's dedication to the prevention and intervention of child abuse and neglect is both successful and well-documented, and more federal support for this resource will improve our ability to reach children of all ages, as well as parents or caregivers in need. During a time when these supports are needed more there an ever, I believe the existing infrastructure and experience of the National Child Abuse Hotline should be used. Even with just more outreach and communications, we could better support the needs of children and families during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and economic recovery. Action and investment now can help prevent the worst possible outcome-- letting children fall through the cracks during an already traumatizing crisis.

Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to put the welfare of our nation's children at the forefront of our national Covid-19 response and to support the adoption of this important legislation, which will benefit children and families in the age of Covid-19, as well as after this pandemic passes.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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