Divergent Trends Reveal Hidden Children: Referrals and Incidence of Child Maltreatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 and its consequences dramatically increased family stressors and changed contexts in ways that likely affect child maltreatment. We compared monthly referrals and medical evaluations of suspected maltreatment between 2019-2020. Referrals decreased significantly, while the number and severity of medical evaluations increased, highlighting the need for new approaches to identification.