In the United States, child abuse is reported, on average, every 10 seconds. Surprisingly, while nine in 10 Americans regard child abuse as a serious problem, only one in three reported abuse when confronted with an actual situation. At St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, we’re doing our part to help curb this growing problem through our Child Protection Program.

As a hospital specializing in the care for children, we’ve seen countless child abuse victims over the years. That’s why we formally developed our Child Protection Program — to provide community education and medical support for children and families who may have experienced abuse and to assist the various authorities who may become involved through a team of dedicated professionals who specialize in child abuse cases.

Guiding Principles

At St. Christopher’s, the Child Protection Program was established to help referring physicians, and the children and families that we serve, get the child evaluated and work on making the child’s environment as safe as possible. To this end, we’re helping build stronger, more collaborative relationships with the law enforcement community, the Department of Human Services and the District Attorney’s Office to help ensure quality care for abused children. It is our objective to help minimize the potential for further trauma by reducing the number of people involved in caring for and questioning victims and we see the appropriately completed evaluation as a first step towards the healing that the child and family need.

Standardized Methods

Our specialists use specific protocols when reporting child neglect and abuse cases, including a standard range of laboratory tests, a consistent method of interview, and a convention for entering and maintaining records.

Each authority involved in abuse cases requires significant assistance in the interpretation of historical and medical findings of abuse or neglect. That’s why we provide a consistent liaison to provide and track this information efficiently.

We maintain medical records on each child who is evaluated for suspected abuse. The standardized data that is collected is maintained in the child’s chart and this information may be needed by healthcare providers, social services, legal agencies, and the judicial system for the appropriate management of the case. Our approach is designed to help prevent the misdiagnoses of child abuse and help improve the management of these patients.

A Dedicated Team

Our team of dedicated, trained professionals is available to help throughout the course of medical treatment, investigation, judicial processes, and follow-up care. Our Child Protection Program team will evaluate each child that authorities suspect has been abused or neglected.

Our team does not displace the primary care physician or other healthcare provider for the child’s overall care. We do, however, provide follow-up care, as needed, for the medical, psychological, and legal needs of the child and family related to the abuse. Our team is on call 24 hours a day to tend to suspected child abuse cases. Our team members, who have training and experience in tending to child abuse victims, include:

• General pediatricians
• Pediatric Emergency Room physicians
• Pediatric Emergency Room nurses
• Social workers

A Nurturing Environment

We understand the challenges authorities face during the course of an investigation and legal case. It’s important that victims and their families feel safe and comfortable when they come to the hospital for an examination. Our Child Protection Program has created a nurturing environment to provide a safe, private space for victims to be examined, treated, interviewed and counseled.

Bringing Patients to the Clinic

Our team members are available for phone consultation. You may refer the child and family to St. Christopher’s emergency room directly, or call ahead of time to determine if a scheduled clinic visit with our team members is possible. You may reach us at (215) 427-5000.