REGION Agencies fight child abuse

Education and early intervention can help, children services officials say.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Denise Stewart lets the photographs tell the story.
One enlarged color photo shows a dingy kitchen. The sink is overflowing with dishes and it appears the refrigerator has been left open for several days.
Decaying food is scattered throughout the room.
Another shows a filthy bathroom. The toilet is so dirty the residents no longer use it. Instead, they've relieved themselves on the bathroom floor.
Both rooms were used by young children every day.
A third photo shows 2-inch-long red marks just below a boy's hair -- evidence that he was grabbed around his neck by his parents.
It's widespread: As the director of Mahoning County Children Services, Stewart is responsible for coordinating efforts to protect children who are victims of abuse and neglect, something she sees regularly.
"It's more widespread than people believe," said Ginger Wilczak, an intake supervisor at Columbiana County Children Services.
April is "Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month" in Ohio, and there are several activities to educate residents.
Stewart said education is the key to stopping child abuse. Parents and teachers must learn how to identify and report abuse to children services, she said.
She defined child abuse as a nonaccidental injury inflicted by a caregiver.
Neglect occurs when a caregiver fails to provide a child with needed supervision or services, such as eye care or doctor visits.
By promptly reporting signs of abuse to children services, a parent or teacher may help prevent further harm, Stewart said.
"Early information is so important," she said. "The sooner we can intervene, the easier it is for us to correct the situation."
How it works: The children services departments in Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana counties handle reports in a similar manner. A report made to any of the three counties is first received by an intake screener. The screener collects information about the suspected abuse and determines if the agency should investigate.
Brad Price, Mahoning's intake supervisor, said a typical report of neglect is made after a child repeatedly comes to school unwashed. A children services caseworker often finds the child's home is filthy and animal feces littering the floors.
Price said a typical abuse case begins when a child comes to school with a scratch or bruise that cannot be easily explained. Schools report the suspected abuse.
If the agency takes the case, an intake caseworker makes initial contact with the family and investigates.
Helping, not hurting: Bob Kubiak, director of Trumbull County Children Services, stressed that caseworkers try to approach the family "in a helping way."
"We're here to help, not make a bad situation worse," he said.
A caseworker who determines that abuse or neglect has occurred may encourage parents to get counseling or connect with community service agencies.
Stewart said children services does not have the power to remove a child from a home. That can be done only by the courts.
The caseworker also helps the family develop goals that can include completing parenting classes.
Once the goals are attained, the case is closed.
An abuse or neglect case can be closed after 30 days, or it can last a year, Stewart said.