Calls to Oregon’s child abuse hotline have plummeted since schools closed statewide, leaving child welfare officials worried abuse and neglect may be left unreported.

The hotline typically receives around 700 calls every weekday from people calling to report child safety concerns. That number dropped by more than half March 16, the day K-12 schools had to close under the order of Gov. Kate Brown.

The shutdowns are aimed at limiting the spread of the new coronavirus. But the closures also mean most Oregon school children no longer interact every day with teachers and school staffers, who are all required by law to report concerns of abuse and neglect.

Subsequent social-distancing mandates, such as orders to stay home as much as possible and to avoid crowds, make it even less likely that children will interact with adults outside the home.

The child abuse hotline hasn’t received more than 300 calls in a single day since March 17, state data shows. The hotline received 70 percent fewer calls Wednesday compared to the same weekday five weeks earlier.

“As social isolation sets in, children have less eyes on them,” said Jake Sunderland, a spokesperson for the Department of Human Services.

Child abuse reports are closely connected with school days. Child welfare officials can predict that reports of abuse and neglect will increase after summer and holiday breaks end. The calls also drop off during weekends.

Because of the recent decline in child abuse calls, case workers are being sent to check on children’s safety inside far fewer homes than usual. For instance, case workers were assigned to follow up on 56 reports of abuse or neglect Wednesday, nearly four times fewer than two weeks ago.

At the same time, concerns and stresses brought on by the coronavirus pandemic could place children at more risk of being abused or neglected. The state’s domestic violence hotline, for instance, has responded to a recent spike of calls.

Children are most at risk of abuse when the adults caring for them are in crisis, Sunderland said.

“Economic instability and stress is an absolute risk factor when it comes to abuse and neglect,” he said.

Sunderland said ensuring child safety remains essential work, and that case workers will still visit homes while taking extra precautions.

“We are still going out in to the field,” he said. “We are still doing child safety assessments."

Anyone who witnesses or suspects a child is being abused or neglected should call the state’s hotline at 855-503-7233, Sunderland said.

-- Molly Young

myoung@oregonian.com

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