Question: What can people do to prevent child abuse and neglect?
Answer: There is no single solution. But we typically find that families who surround themselves with supportive networks are typically less likely to have children who are abused and neglected. Support can come from other family members, the community, religious organizations, social networks, etc. that can offer help to families in need.

Question: How many calls does 241-KIDS receive?
Answer: For 2008, 241-KIDS received over 70,000 calls of alleged child abuse and neglect. Of those, about 7,100 were determined to be actual allegations or "cases" investigated by our staff. Of those 7,100 cases approximately 25% of those families were determined to be in need of ongoing services and continued Children's Services involvement.

10:34:56 AM [Visitor] Another question about boundaries, where is the line? When does low income, limited education and/or lack of resources cross over to child neglect e.g., two adults and three children living in a one room efficiency apartment. What can mitigate the potential unintended consequences of making a report?
10:37:29 AM [Scott Boone] The contributing factors and the scenario that you are describing would not necessarily constitute what state law or our guidelines would consider to be child neglect. There would have to be other details or circumstances involved before we could begin to consider this as neglect.

While we're waiting for more of your questions, we'll do a Q/A with Scott, who has been in the child protection field for 20 years. Feel free to jump in at any time.

Question: What types of information do you consider before opening a Children's Services case?
Answer: We have a very detailed screening process where we ask a number of different questions to determine if perhaps children are in an unsafe environment. We do a thorough review previous history with our agency, criminal background checks, and other information that is available to us. We also consult with law enforcement, hospital staff, mental health professionals, etc. to gather as many details as possible so that we can make a thoughtful decision about whether or not a family should become involved with Children's Services.

Question: What should you do if you suspect that somebody is abusing or neglecting a child, such as a neighbor or someone you see in a public place hitting a child many times and swearing at him or her?
Answer: Whenever you suspect that a child is being subjected to abuse or neglect, or might be in a dangerous situation, contact 241-KIDS. You will be connected with one of our professionally trained screeners who will determine if the situation needs to be assigned to one of our investigators. Your reporting information will always be kept confidential by law and we will never reveal your name or address.

Question: I heard about a couple of cases that involved 241-KIDS in the news this morning. One was about the 22-year-old mother of several young children who allegedly had left them alone with no food. There was no lock on the door. How can this happen?
Answer: Unfortunately, parents and caregivers sometimes make poor decisions. This could be do to a variety of factors: mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, etc. Each family is very different and we treat every situation with sensitivity, understanding that there could be a variety of different factors which could lead a family into crisis.

10:06:54 AM [Visitor] He can't afford to pay for an evaluation. Is there something he can do through the county or state?
10:08:02 AM [Scott Boone] It's possible that the court may be able to appoint and provide compensation for a mental health evaluation. However, there is no guarantee that will happen. I would recommend that your son make a request through his legal counsel to ask the court to arrange a mental health evaluation for your grandson.

10:03:42 AM [Dr. Tracey Hoffman] Scott - Thanks for the Information. Have a good day!
10:05:07 AM [Scott Boone] You're welcome. You can find more information about foster care on www.hcfoster.org

10:00:37 AM [Visitor] My grandson's mother and father have never been married. My son has been fighting for at least join custody since he has been born. The mother has done everything to keep as much distance from Noah and his father as possible. The magistrate failed to include overnights in his custody decree which made things even worse. After that she tried to keep Noah from having over nights at all. A couple of weeks after that he started stuttering - he was a little over two. She tells him that things he hasn't at his daddy's house - don't belong her at her "home". My son told Noah he can take whatever he wants even if he doesn't bring it back. Where's the line of mental abuse?
10:02:01 AM [Scott Boone] How old is your grandson?
10:02:20 AM [Visitor] Almost 3.5
10:03:40 AM [Visitor] She told Noah she doesn't let him spend the night with his dad because he doesn't have "cool" toys. She says things to Noah that she knows he will repeat to hurt his father.
10:04:16 AM [Scott Boone] Mental abuse is typically diagnosed by someone such as a psychologist or a psychiatrist. If you believe your grandson is being subjected to mental abuse, I would recommend that you have him evaluated by a mental health professional.

10:00:59 AM [Dr. Tracey Hoffman] Does Hamilton County still have a shortage of Foster parents? I know that there was a large decrease after the Marcus Feisel case, and many of the surrounding counties are lacking foster homes.
10:02:39 AM [Scott Boone] Absolutely. We have a critical need for foster parents. Anyone interested may call 632-6366.

9:56:21 AM [Dr. Tracey Hoffman] Good Morning...I wanted to ask about the statistics or numbers of cases that involve children with developmental delays.
9:57:29 AM [Scott Boone] I couldn't say off the top of my head. We have a number of cases that involve all different kinds of details and concerns. We don't really categorize cases solely according to developmental delays.


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