States are preparing their child protective services for changes because of the coronavirus. How are they navigating in-person visits, emergency removals and foster placement?
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
So social distancing and testing are key to slowing the spread of coronavirus. But isolation can be devastating when it comes to child welfare. In some cases, social workers are virtually visiting homes, and parents with kids in foster care are having to connect with them via FaceTime. We have more from NPR’s Leila Fadel.
LEILA FADEL, BYLINE: On Mondays and Tuesdays, Jessica’s daughter, who is in foster care, is supposed to stay overnight with her in Brooklyn.
JESSICA: Now I have to just only do FaceTime, video conferences, three-way calls, you know. I can’t see her anymore for now.
FADEL: Jessica says her toddler doesn’t understand FaceTime.
JESSICA: She basically hangs up the phone. So it’s like, very emotional for me to try to do Facetime when she’s not really paying attention. I’m usually, like, you know, feeding her, singing to her, playing with her, we’re bonding really good, and it’s like it snatched it away from me, this whole virus and being away from her now.
