Child Safety Archives - Ohio Family Law Blog

April Is National Child Abuse Prevention Month – Help Strengthen Families and Prevent Child Abuse

Help Promote Child Abuse Prevention with these Programs and Activities

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, Holzfaster, Cecil, McKnight & Mues, encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making the Dayton, Ohio community a better place for children and families. There are many ways that each of us can help!

We all need to help promote the social and emotional well-being of children and youth and prevent child maltreatment within families and communities. Protective factors are the strengths and resources families draw on during difficult times to shield them from life’s stresses. Research shows that when parents possess protective factors, the risk for neglect and abuse diminish and optimal outcomes for children, youth, and families are promoted. It is important that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children. Major protective factors include knowledge of parenting, knowledge of child development, parental resilience, social connections, and concrete supports.

In support of these efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, together with Child Welfare Information Gateway, and the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based … Read More... “April Is National Child Abuse Prevention Month – Help Strengthen Families and Prevent Child Abuse”

The Legal Contours of Child Endangerment

Child Endangerment In Ohio

Could You Be Legally Charged With Child Endangerment Or
Child Abuse?

Adults who care for children have a legal obligation to ensure that those children avoid unreasonably dangerous situations. Failing to adequately protect a child may result in the caregiver being charged with “child endangerment” or “endangering the welfare of a child.”

Examples of child endangerment may include:

Driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle
Leaving a child alone and unsupervised with available dangerous weapons
Leaving a child unattended in an unsafe area or vehicle
Hiring a person with a known history of sexual offenses to supervise a child
Leaving a young child unsupervised or in the care of another young child
Providing drugs or alcohol to an underage driver
Opting for spiritual healing rather than conventional medicine when a child’s life is in danger
Failing to report suspected child abuse
Domestic violence episodes that take place in front of children

The Supreme Court of Nebraska recently had the opportunity to explore the contours of this concept in State v. Mendez-Osorio, 297 Neb. 520 (2017). The case revolved around a domestic incident between defendant Abel Mendez-Osorio and his partner Katia Santos-Velasquez. … Read More... “The Legal Contours of Child Endangerment”

Divorce: New Sesame Street Videos Help Kids Deal with Trauma

For decades, Sesame Street has played on TV’s across the country, teaching children their ABC’s and 123’s, while also broadening their vocabulary, and increasing other academic skills. But now, Sesame Street is focused on another issue: helping children cope with traumatic experiences.

Children and Traumatic Experiences

A study conducted in 2016 found that nearly half of the children in the United States have experienced at least one traumatic or stressful event, including the death of a loved one, abuse, and divorce. The study also found that 1 in 5 of these children has experienced these events on more than one occasion. Click here to read the study.

How Can Sesame Street Help Children With Traumatic Experiences?

Children who experience traumatic experiences are more likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and even substance abuse. Early exposure to traumatic events affects the neurodevelopment of a child, which changes the way that they respond to stress and other experiences. According to the Department of Psychiatry at Saint Vincent’s Hospital in New York, “exposure to trauma also affects children’s ability to regulate, identify, and express emotions, and may have a negative effect on the way that a child views … Read More... “Divorce: New Sesame Street Videos Help Kids Deal with Trauma”

Talking to Children about School Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers

What To Tell Your Kids About The Florida High School Shootings – Tips On School Safety For Children And Resource Links For Violence Prevention

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Yesterday, February 16th, Psychotherapist Donna F. Ferber entered the world of Facebook with her first Facebook post. The subject was a horribly depressing but a timely one: What to tell your kids about the Florida High School shootings. Donna ALWAYS shares terrific advice in her blog columns. I thank her for sharing this valuable public service by providing a link for both parents and teachers (which was posted in 2016) by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).

Here is what Donna concisely posted, “My first post on Facebook. Helpful information in troubling times. I look forward to a time when we don’t need to have these difficult conversations”.

Here is the link she provided as a resource to our teachers and parents:

Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers

The information, in my mind, warrants posting it in full. Here it is:

“High profile acts of violence, particularly in schools, can confuse and frighten children who may feel in danger or worry that their friends or … Read More... “Talking to Children about School Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers”

Safe Haven’s Law in Ohio – Teens Should Take Advantage

Publisher’s Note: Attorney Charles “Bill” Morrison in our office posted this article on our Ohio Criminal Defense Law Blog on January 9, 2018. The topic of Safe Haven’s Law certainly has both criminal law and family law relevance warranting posting here as well. It is indeed a shame that this legal option is not better publicized! Click here to read more of Bill’s excellent posts.

There has been another high-profile case involving a pregnant teen accused of killing her newborn baby. Now, it needs to be made absolutely clear that this blog is NOT claiming that the teen caused the death of the child. The defendant in this case is claiming the baby was still-born. As we are not privy to the evidence, and she has not been convicted after the state has been put to its proof at a trial, we will presume that the young lady is innocent, as required under our constitution.

However, the linked article mentioned a little-known provision under Ohio law that allows parents of a newborn to effectively give up their child and face no adverse consequences. The theory behind “Ohio’s Safe Haven’s” law is to encourage parents that don’t want or cannot provide … Read More... “Safe Haven’s Law in Ohio – Teens Should Take Advantage”

For Mandated Child Abuse Reporters, Is “Concern” the Same as “Suspicion”?

young girl in field looking at light in distance

In the process of doing her monthly visit, a social work case manager notices another child in the foster home. The child is moaning softly and seems listless and groggy. There are no noticeable bruises, no bleeding, no obvious broken bones. The child is not a client of the case manager, nor even of the worker’s agency. When the case manager gets back to her office she casually mentions her concern regarding the child to her supervisor. Both are mandated reporters but neither calls the state child abuse hotline. A week later they find out that, tragically, the child died a few days after the case manager had made her visit. The cause of death was non-accidental blunt force trauma.

Months later a lawsuit is initiated by the estate of the deceased child. Among the named defendants are the social work case manager and her supervisor. The plaintiffs claim that, as mandated reporters, both were negligent in not contacting the state hotline. Had they done so the child would not have died.

In its publication, Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect (2016), the Child Welfare Information Gateway reports: “The circumstances under which a mandatory reporter must make a … Read More... “For Mandated Child Abuse Reporters, Is “Concern” the Same as “Suspicion”?”

Parents – Are You Worried About Your Kids Online Safety?

Bark, your family's watchdog for internet safety

Cellphones and laptops are becoming more and more of a commonality among younger people; and with the popularity of such devices, there comes an immense amount of potential danger attached to them. Some parents may not comprehend the risks before giving their children the privilege of having a cellphone and/or a laptop, but there is a dangerous dark side to a smartphone/laptop while in the hands of a young person.

To try and combat the dangers of cellphone/internet usage by children and teenagers, Bark was created to monitor text conversations of minors. The app works by having parents create an account through the website bark.us, and by starting off with a 30-day free trial, the app is granted access to all of your child’s text messages, email, and even social media accounts. The app monitors your child 24/7 and will send alerts to you if issues are detected by the app’s “watchdog engine” while also supplying “recommended actions and ways to talk about issues as a family”.

Parents Can Use App Monitoring Software Bark To Combat Dangers Of Internet Use

Bark’s “watchdog engine” is engineered through “data science and machine learning” to flag interactions such as cyber bulling, sexting, and … Read More... “Parents – Are You Worried About Your Kids Online Safety?”

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