The Polk County Department of Social Services (DSS) investigated 230 child protection cases during 2014 after receiving a total of 304 reports.

The Polk County Community Child Fatality Prevention and Protection Team gave its 2014 report during the Polk County Board of Commissioner’s April 20 meeting.

DSS director Lou Parton gave the report to commissioners, saying the child protection reports were an 11 percent increase last year from 2013.

The 230 cases of allegations of abuse, neglect or dependency by a parent or caretaker that met the legal criteria for an assessment/investigation were a 13 percent increase from 2013.

Parton said Polk County DSS provided child protective services to an average of 62 families each month in 2014, according to the report.

The Community Child Fatality Prevention and Protection Team reviewed seven child protective services cases during 2014, with two cases involving allegations of physical abuse, four cases involving allegations of neglect, three cases involving allegations of sexual abuse, one case involving allegations of emotional abuse and one case involving allegations of dependency.

Normally, the child fatality prevention and protection team reviews all cases of child death.

“Fortunately there we no child deaths or injuries meeting the requirements for review,” Parton told commissioners.

Every year the child fatality prevention reviews different cases and determines contributing factors to the abuse.

During the reviewed cases in 2014 the child fatality team cited substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health issues, physical abuse, poor parenting skills, inappropriate supervision, unstable, inadequate and overcrowded living arrangements, poverty, unemployment, inappropriate discipline, child custody issues, limited family support, family discord, emotional abuse, financial stressors, insufficient services in the community and unreliable transportation as the contributing factors.

The child fatality team also cites what gaps in services, system deficiencies and other barriers contribute to child maltreatment in Polk County.

The gaps and deficiencies in 2014 included lack of resources and services for intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals, inadequate mental health services, the legal system (lack of high conflict custody mediation and counseling, law enforcement availability for probable cause hearings, lack of diversion to drug court and inadequate housing for low income individuals with criminal history) and community education (prevention message to children to not be afraid to speak up and lack of communication between charter schools and public agencies concerning availability of training for staff on child abuse/neglect/reporting).

“Many of the issues presented in previous reports to commissioners still remain the same,” states the report. “Substance abuse, mental health, unstable living situations, inadequate parenting, domestic violence, etc. all impact the health and wellness of families affected by child abuse and neglect and thus our entire community. In your role as Polk County Commissioner we ask that each of you be aware of the needs that are prevalent and the opportunities you have to make a difference.”

This year the child fatatilty preventiona and protection team said it would like to focus its request specifically to require Smoky Mountain Center (LME) to aggressively purse an intensive outpatient treatment provider for substance abuse services in Polk County and funding for the members of the child fatality prevention and protection team to participate in training specific to child abuse and neglect and to sponsor community awareness/training events.

Parton also told commissioners that on April 1 Polk agencies held its first annual child abuse awareness walk at Stearns Park with more than 70 participants.

The month of May is also National Foster Care Awareness Month. Check the Bulletin this month for articles pertaining to foster care in Polk County.