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Children from racial and ethnic minorities were much more likely to lose such a caregiver, the CDC-led team found.
“The results illustrate the orphanage as a hidden and continuing secondary tragedy caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and underscore that identifying and caring for these children throughout their development is a necessary and urgent part of the response to the pandemic – both as long as the pandemic continues, as well as in the post-pandemic era, ”said the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which helped fund the study, in a statement.
Data from the National Center for Health Statistics up to June showed that racial and ethnic minority children made up 65% of those who lost a primary caregiver, while white children made up 35%, although minorities made up only 39% of the American population.
Secondary caregivers mainly included grandparents who provided love, security or basic care, the researchers said.
The children most affected were children in southern border states, where Hispanic children made up between 50 and 67 percent of affected children.
In the Southeastern states, up to 57% of affected children were black, and in states with tribal territories, Native American / Alaskan children made up up to 55% of children who lost a parent. or another primary guardian because of Covid-19.
“Beyond parents, grandparents are increasingly essential, often meeting basic needs. In the United States from 2011 to 2019, 10% of children lived with a grandparent and in 2019, 4.5 million children lived with a grandparent providing their housing. Black, Hispanic, and Asian children are twice as likely as white children to live with a grandparent, “wrote Susan Hillis and her CDC colleagues.
“The loss of parents is associated with mental health problems, shorter schooling, low self-esteem, risky sexual behavior and risks of suicide, violence, sexual abuse and exploitation,” said they added.
“Still, there is hope. Safe and effective vaccines can prevent the orphanage and the deaths of caregivers associated with Covid-19 from negatively impacting children and families.”
Even the loss of a parent or grandparent can be devastating for children, especially those in marginal situations where they risk losing their homes, being abused or simply sliding into poverty. .
“Children facing the orphanage because of Covid are a hidden global pandemic that has unfortunately not spared the United States,” Hillis said in a statement.
“All of us – especially our children – will feel the serious immediate and long-term impact of this problem for generations to come. Dealing with the loss these children have suffered – and continues to suffer – must be one of our top priorities, and this must be integrated into all aspects of our emergency response, both now and in the future. post-pandemic future, ”added Hillis.
The researchers said the government should pay special attention to affected children.
“We need to ensure that children who have lost a parent or guardian have access to the support services they need, and that this additional impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is taken into account comprehensively at the same time. in our rapid response and in our overall public health response, ”said Charles Nelson, who studies the effects of adversity on development at Boston Children’s Hospital.
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