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White House is 'close' on Japan, India tariff agreements but expect them to be light on specifics; Families in limbo following federal energy assistance program cuts- we have reports from NH and MD; NV adopted CA's 'clean car' standard, rule now under GOP examination.

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Educators worry about President Trump's education plan, as federal judges block several of his executive orders. Battles over voting rules are moving in numerous courts. And FSU students protest a state bill lowering the age to buy a gun.

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Migration to rural America increased for the fourth year, technological gaps handicap rural hospitals and erode patient care, and doctors are needed to keep the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians healthy and align with spiritual principles.

Rising Inflation, Poverty, Puts WV Kids at Higher Risk of Abuse

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Wednesday, April 5, 2023   

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and experts say ongoing inflation, economic challenges and poverty can place stress on families and increase the risk of child abuse and neglect.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rates of child abuse and neglect are five times higher for children in families with low socioeconomic status.

Kate Flack - CEO of the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network - explained that parents may turn to substance use or other unhealthy coping mechanisms, to deal with mounting financial pressures, which could put kids in unsafe situations.

"If parents are having to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, there's less eyes on kids," said Flack. "There's less supportive supervision. So kids are more at risk of being preyed upon."

Flack also pointed to the rise in internet-facilitated crime against children since the pandemic, and said kids who are allowed to use social media unsupervised are at higher risk for exploitation.

Suspected cases of child abuse in West Virginia can be reported to the state's Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-352-6513 - seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Flack said that currently, 21 local Child Advocacy Centers across the state help coordinate the response to child-abuse allegations - by streamlining communication with prosecuting attorneys, law enforcement, child protective services and medical providers.

"In the last year, our child advocacy centers served 4,703 new children," said Flack. "And in West Virginia, the state population is around 40,000, so we are seeing a huge portion of the kids that live in West Virginia."

She said Child Advocacy Centers, or CACs, help kids feel safe and work to address their trauma with wraparound services.

"The places that the kids go to in CACs are child friendly," said Flack. "They're like a pediatrician's office, with murals on the walls and paintings and stickers and stuffed animals. And so it's a very friendly place for kids to just feel at ease, and to feel believed."

At least 1 in 7 children experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year in the U.S. alone - and
according to Save the Children, one billion children worldwide experience physical, sexual or emotional violence or neglect each year.




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