Covid-19 Pandemic Impact on Child Welfare System

Author(s)	Rashmi Mandayam
Country	United States
Abstract	The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted the child welfare system, exacerbating existing challenges such as underfunding, inconsistent policy enforcement, and workforce shortages, while creating new obstacles for child protection, family preservation, and service delivery. These systemic challenges, present long before the pandemic, have historically hindered the system’s ability to operate effectively across states and jurisdictions. The absence of a unified national strategy for addressing child abuse and neglect further magnified the disparities in service delivery, leaving vulnerable populations without adequate support. This paper examines the pandemic’s impact on the U.S. child welfare system, emphasizing changes in reporting mechanisms, service accessibility, and outcomes for vulnerable populations. It also explores adaptations in service delivery, the role of technology, and policy recommendations to address systemic inefficiencies and inequities.
Keywords	Child welfare system, COVID-19, child abuse and neglect, foster care, virtual service delivery, systemic inequities, community-based prevention, digital divide, mental health, family reunification.
Published In	Volume 4, Issue 6, November-December 2022
Published On	2022-12-06
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2022.v04i06.35266
Short DOI	https://doi.org/g82h49

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International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research