Preventing child maltreatment is complex, and everyone has a role to play. Child abuse and neglect affect every community. In this episode of Living Healthy Together, we mark Child Abuse Awareness Month by bringing together medical experts, foster parents, forensic specialists and community leaders to explore how we can keep children safe and how prevention truly works. 

James Metz, MD, a pediatrician, division chief of child abuse medicine and director of the Child Safe Program at Golisano Children’s Hospital, explains why child maltreatment is more common than many childhood illnesses; the role of pediatricians and how multidisciplinary teams investigate and respond to reports of suspected abuse while putting children and families at the center of everything they do. 

Whitney Barkhuff, MD, a neonatologist and foster parent, shares what families should understand about foster care, addresses common misconceptions and explores the many ways individuals and families can support children without committing to long-term foster placements. 

Tracey Wagner, MSN, RN, CPN, SANE-P, a forensic and sexual assault nurse and longtime foster parent, explains the spectrum of child maltreatment, how science is evolving, the importance of education, and how honest conversations can help protect children. 

Meghan Masterson, MA, BCBA, a board-certified behavior analyst and executive director of Kidsafe Collaborative, Chittenden County’s only independent agency dedicated to prevention of child abuse and neglect, explains how prevention is a shared responsibility. Learn how individual action, community support and strong systems create safer environments for children