In Texas, Children Under 4 Are Most At Risk Of Dying From Abuse Or Neglect. Early Connections Can Help.

Arlington TX

06 April, 2022

7:08 PM

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By Emily Wolf | Alexis Allison, Fort Worth Report April 5, 2022 Twelve children died from abuse or neglect in Tarrant County last year. While deaths have been trending downward during the past few years, advocates expect to see an increase in reported abuse and neglect in the summer and fall as kids come to terms with mistreatment suffered during the pandemic and children interact with more mandated reporters. Community organizations are reaching out to families with resources and bracing for an uptick in need in the coming months. "Our community has dramatically changed over the past two years," said Ashley Elgin, chief executive officer of child welfare nonprofit Lena Pope. "It's a matter of recognizing that if we can't create a social and emotional support system in the academic environment, who else can? No one." Most at risk are the community's youngest children. In the past decade, children 3 years of age and younger have made up almost 80% of all confirmed child abuse and neglect fatalities in Texas. Too young to enroll in school and often not attending daycare, the Department of Family and Protective Services said these kids are left without vital community touchpoints to identify potential abuse — pandemic or not. To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.