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It's Child Abuse Prevention Month and this year the awareness campaign comes in the wake of a hard year with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Idaho saw a drastic uptick in abuse deaths during the pandemic: five in the past year. Before that, there had been no reported abuse deaths since 2017.
Molly Kaczmarek, practice manager for St. Luke's Children at Risk Evaluation Services clinic, said financial hardship and social isolation have played a role in increased trauma.
"We really are just worried about families and families needing to know that there's help out there," Kaczmarek explained. "There's been some resources created and information sent out, and April as Child Abuse Prevention Month is just one more opportunity that we have to raise awareness."