The Schubert Center for Child Studies has revised the Statement of Concern for the Protection and Well-Being of Children Housed in Institutions during the COVID-19 Pandemic (originally issued on 3-25-20). The updates are found in the Statement of Concern for Children in Care.
This medical crisis poses an urgent threat to the safety and well-being of youth confined in state correctional facilities, juvenile detention centers and residential facilities, and there is no national child-specific guidance for addressing the needs of children housed in these facilities. Physicians have expressed concern about the unique risks and vulnerabilities of incarcerated children, and child and adolescent experts note that children are more vulnerable generally to the emotional impact of traumatic events. Our Center has been in regular contact with the Cuyahoga County juvenile detention center and the Ohio Department of Youth Services since the week of the Governor’s emergency declaration and has consistently called for the specific protective measures.
Read the original Statement of Concern for Children in Care.