CHICAGO (AP) — The Illinois agency responsible for investigating child abuse has updated its system for accepting online reports of neglect and abuse.
Leaders of the Department of Children and Family Services said the changes include clearer instructions and fewer necessary clicks, aiming to reduce the amount of time required to complete abuse reports.
The updated system also puts reports of abuse or neglect directly into the agency's case management system. Officials said that can improve investigators' efficiency.
Smith said making online reporting easier is critical during the coronavirus pandemic since children are less likely to be seen by adults outside their home. Less than 50% of reports of suspected child abuse and neglect were reported in April 2020 compared to April 2019, according to a DCFS press release.
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That trend is reversing since students returned to school in person or virtually. Reports to DCFS have increased, with September 2020 remaining about 18% below 2019, the press release continued.
“We know teachers are one of the main groups of individuals who make reports to our hotline because they spend so much time with children every day; and now that schools are back in session, a teacher may be the first person outside of a child’s immediate family to see him or her in quite some time,” Smith said.
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