Help for Kids Suffers Under County Woes : Abuse Programs Cut Just When They’re Needed Most

Orange County’s bankruptcy has begun chipping away at programs intended to prevent child abuse. So far there have been no identifiable cases of children harmed because of cutbacks, but the threats to the well-being of children are worrisome.

The county Social Services Agency has reduced staff and funding for its Children’s Services division; social workers’ caseloads have increased; funding for a program for families with children thought to be at risk of further abuse has been slashed. The cracks in the structure come at an especially bad time because they coincide with a new willingness by the federal and state governments to finance programs on parenting. The problem is that the programs require county matching funds, and the chances of getting that money are slim in Orange County nowadays.

Orange County has earned a good reputation of responding quickly to reports of child abuse. Experts say they would like to do even more, to get to parents before they hurt children. Studies have shown that parents who misuse drugs and alcohol are more likely to be abusive. Also at risk are those who were abused by their own parents. Staffers on Orange County child abuse programs agree there is a need for more substance abuse prevention programs as well as courses that show parents how to raise their children from birth through adolescence.

One program that sends trained volunteers into homes needing help is run by the Exchange Club Child Abuse Prevention Center of Orange County.

Last year the Exchange Club, a nonprofit group, provided 50 volunteers who worked with nearly 300 Orange County families, helping them improve parenting skills and living conditions and referring them to job training courses and other advancement programs.

The Exchange Club’s center receives about 90% of its referrals and 60% of its funding from the county. Due to the bankruptcy, however, the county cut its funding of the center by nearly $50,000 a year, and two center employees were laid off.

One encouraging recent development has been the likelihood that the South County Child Abuse Services Team will remain in place. Several months ago the county said it could not afford to pay the rent on the Laguna Hills facility and that CAST offices would have to be combined in Orange.

But an impressive show of community support has made it likely that the Laguna Hills center will stay open, its officials said. Fund-raisers were successful; private companies provided grants; residents showed an encouraging awareness that child abuse is not a problem that only happens elsewhere.

Indeed, the Child Abuse Registry, which operates a telephone hot line in the city of Orange to receive allegations of mistreatment and neglect, reported taking more than 45,000 calls last year, involving nearly 20,000 Orange County families. Officials said the increase of nearly 23% over the previous year was due to heightened public awareness as well as an increase in the number of people required by law to report suspicions of abuse.

The increased reports unfortunately coincide with increased workloads for social workers because support staffers have been laid off. More community involvement can mitigate the problem, helping groups like South County CAST and the Exchange Club.

But the primary need is to get the county back on a sound financial footing and able to fund programs to prevent child abuse rather than intervening after it has happened.