Child Advocates: NH Stay-At-Home Order Not Safe For Some Kids

CONCORD, NH — Child advocates in the Granite State are raising concerns about the drop in reports of child abuse in the state since the stay-at-home and remote learning orders — and are releasing a new public service announcement to raise awareness about the issue.

Referrals to Child Advocacy Centers in New Hampshire, the locations where many child sexual abuse forensic abuse interviews take place, have decreased by close to two-thirds since the new coronavirus pandemic partially locked down the state. Interaction with teachers, according to Joy Barrett of the CEO of the Granite State Children's Alliance, is just one way reports of child abuse and neglect are reported.

"With learning online instead of in-class, teachers just don't have the same vantage point to evaluate their students' wellbeing," she said. "Our concern is what we don't see. We can't expect video chat to convey manifestations of physical abuse or sexual abuse. And even that narrow window is closing with the school year, further isolating victims."

A national sexual assault hotline operated by RAINN reported recently that half its calls were from minors and 79 percent of those minors reported living with the perpetrator or abuser. If even a fraction of those calls translated into similar cases in New Hampshire, it would be a problem. As the school year ends, children in the state will have even less contact with adults, Barrett said.

The alliance has created KNOW & TELL, a professional development program to raise awareness about the safety of Granite State children. As part of the program, the alliance worked with Terrence Hayes of South Boston, Massachusetts, who directed a new public service announcement. He co-wrote the PSA with David McHugh, a writer.

For more information about the program, visit the KNOW & TELL website.

In late March, advocates requested funding to address both child abuse and domestic violence, and on April 1, the governor granted $600,000 for crisis centers and $2 million for child abuse specialists and others.

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Volinsky To Governor: Meet Executive Council Part Way

The Executive Council meets Wednesday to discuss the release of millions of dollars in CARES Act relief funds being released.

However, the councilor who requested the release of the funds be tabled until more information was available, has raised more concerns about the lack information in a 250-page document submitted to councilors by Gov. Chris Sununu Monday.

Andru Volinsky, the District 2 councilor and a Concord Democrat hoping to face off against Sununu in November, said he was deeply disappointed with the lack of info. In a letter to the governor, Volinsky requested Sununu meet councilors "part way" by submitting two warrants — "one for the money you currently know how you will spend, and one for the money you cannot yet decide how to spend." Volinsky said councilors "would appreciate this modest effort at collaboration and, I suspect, readily approve a motion to consider two warrants, one for $600 million and the second for $350 million. We could then table the smaller warrant until you actually need it."

Volinsky read the relief fund task force's website "regularly," so he didn't need the 250-page document which he called a "compilation of publicly available information (that) does nothing to answer the questions that were raised at the May 6 Executive Council meeting." Good leaders, he added, were "not afraid of transparency" and the word "accountability" should not be considered a dirty word. "Sununu's silence lends credence to the concerns that he is favoring insiders as reported by NHPR and InDepth NH," Volinsky said. "Councilors and the taxpaying public deserve real answers to ensure their dollars are going to the best contractor for the job, at the best price. Sununu should stop copying other people’s homework and provide real answers."

Webinar To Help Adults With COVID-19 Mental Health Concerns

Dartmouth-Hitchcock is offering another webinar in is "Heads Up: Coping through COVID-19" series Wednesday in an effort to help adults manage mental health concerns while working from home and being in isolation.

The webinar is free and will be held at noon on May 20, on the health center's Facebook page.

Panelists this week’s segment include Dr. Robert Brady, the director of Anxiety Disorders Service; Dr. William Torrey, the vice chairman of Clinical Services, Department of Psychiatry; and Ken Norton, the executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) New Hampshire.

Questions can be emailed to social@hitchcock.org and the full webinar will be posted on YouTube.com after its completion.

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D’Allesandro, Feltes To DRA: Transparency Needed On $400M Fund

Two state Senate Democrats have written a letter to the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration requesting clarifications, ethical, and transparency standards be placed on the distribution of $400 million from the Main Street Relief Fund.

State Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, D-Manchester, and Dan Feltes, D-Concord, wrote the letter to Lindsey Stepp, the commissioner of the DRA, and also requested that "prioritization" be placed on businesses with annual revenues of $5 million. They also stressed protections for workers, prevention of double-dipping, and public distribution information to be made public.

The fund was announced Friday. Sununu said Monday that around 3,000 small businesses had begun the application process.

Feltes, another 2020 gubernatorial candidate, said small businesses across the state needed and deserved support which was why it was "critical" that Granite Staters know exactly where the governor sending these stimulus funds and that every dollar is accounted for.

"Governor Sununu has already set the definition of 'small business' at quadruple the size used in other programs, and we cannot have our small businesses in New Hampshire lose out to big corporations once again," Feltes said. "I've spoken with numerous small business owners who have no confidence that 'Main Street' businesses will be helped, kept open, or reopened by Governor Sununu's fund. When public taxpayer money goes out directly to select private citizens or private entities, there must be at least baseline transparency and accountability."

Theatre Company Suspends Productions

The Cue Zero Theatre Company has decided to suspend its summer performances and its attempt to set the world record for a continuous theatrical marathon.

The company, which offers performances at the Derry Opera House, had several productions in the queue including "Hamlet."

"In lieu of these in-person productions, Cue Zero will be offering on-line content, both free and paid, via social media," the company said. "Public readings and discussions of new works, acting classes and workshops, and an increased focus on their already popular podcast, The Cue Zero Theatre Cast, which releases episodes weekly featuring discussions on various topics in theatre for both theatre creators and audience members."

Cue Zero Theatre still hopes to produce "Heathers The Musical" in the fall as well as guerrilla Shakespeare performances.

Learn More About The Spread Of COVID-19

The COVID-19 virus is spread through respiratory droplets, usually through coughing and sneezing, and exposure to others who are sick or might be showing symptoms.

Health officials emphasize residents should follow these recommendations:

• Avoid any domestic and international travel, especially on public transportation such as buses, trains, and airplanes.
• Practice social distancing. Stay at least 6 feet from other people, including distancing while in waiting areas or lines.
• Anybody who is told to self-quarantine and stay at home due to exposure to a person with confirmed or suspect COVID-19 needs to stay home and not go out into public places.
• If you are 60 years or older or have chronic medical conditions, you need to stay home and not go out.
• Avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.
• Employers need to move to telework as much as possible.
• There is increasing evidence that this virus can survive for hours or possibly even a few days on surfaces, so people should clean frequently touched surfaces, including door handles, grocery carts and grocery basket handles, etc.

Take the same precautions as you would if you were sick:

• Stay home and avoid public places when sick (i.e., social distancing).
• Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
• Wash hands frequently.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

More information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services about coronavirus can be found here on the department's website.

• Guidance to schools can be found can be found here.
• Instructions for returning travelers to self-observe for symptoms of COVID-19 are available are available here.
• For more information on COVID-19 in NH, visit its site here.
• For the latest information from the CDC, visit its site here.

ALSO READ:

• New Hampshire's Housing Crisis Is About To Explode, Board Warned
• More Than 60,000 Tested For Coronavirus In New Hampshire: Data
• Dems Claim Sununu Seeks To Block Court Access In Coronavirus Spending Dispute
• NH Task Force Mulls Reopening Kids Sports, Acupuncture, Bowling, Movies
• 3,000 NH Businesses Apply For Coronavirus Main Street Relief Fund

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