The short-term policy focus has to be on reducing risks of physical and psychological harm, and ensuring access to good food and nutrition, the provision of immediate care and protection to children in need, and keeping the education loss for many poorer children to an absolute minimum. This brief aims to capture some key issues and propose early steps that governments can take to mitigate negative consequences for children, especially the most vulnerable. While not a category at risk from a medical viewpoint, children are significantly impacted by the ongoing COVIDвЂ‘19 pandemic. Policies also need to support parental employment since it is key to fighting child poverty. Immediate government measures need to ensure that children have access to good food, receive protection against child abuse and neglect, have continued access to child physical and mental health services, and can navigate safely on the internet. Furthermore, increased unsupervised on-line internet use has magnified issues around sexual exploitation and cyber-bullying. Widespread digitalisation mitigates the education loss caused by school-closures, but the poorest children are least likely to live in good home-learning environments with internet connection. School closures, social distancing and confinement increase the risk of poor nutrition among children, their exposure to domestic violence, increase their anxiety and stress, and reduce access to vital family and care services.

The COVIDвЂ‘19 pandemic is harming health, social and material well-being of children worldwide, with the poorest children, including homeless children and children in detention, hit hardest.

2022.03

Policy brief berkman klein center