Manitoba’s child advocacy centre has put out a call-to-action to communities across the province to help protect children who are most vulnerable to child abuse or neglect during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Christy Dzikowics, the executive director of the Snowflake Place, says that the measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 are critical, but adds that those measure do have unintended consequences.

Dzikowics explains that child abuse reports have seen a significant drop in Manitoba since school closed over a month ago, as most reports of child abuse come from an adult who is not a parent to the child in question, such as teachers, coaches, or parents of their friends.

However, she notes that teachers have been vigilant in staying connected with their students during the pandemic, and adds that there are ways people can spot the signs of child abuse while in isolation.

For more information, you can visit snowflakeplace.ca.