El Popo Staff - page 5

El Popo Staff

LA COUNTY RESOURCES AND SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILD ABUSE CONCERNS DURING COVID-19 CRISIS

Los Angeles, CA (Monday, April 20, 2020)—Los Angeles County recognizes that staying home is not always a safe option for victims experiencing domestic violence during the COVID-19 crisis. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, from 2019 to 2020, domestic violence calls for services have risen in LA County from 863 to 933, an 8.11 percent increase. For people experiencing domestic violence amid the Safer at Home Order, there are services and resources available 24/7 for those who need it. You are not alone. 

L.A. County’s Domestic Violence Services remain available. Shelters are open and accepting people. If you are a victim of domestic violence and need help, resources include: 

• Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-978-3600, or
• You can also dial 2-1-1 any time to get connected with services and support in your area or visit 211la.org/domestic-violence.
• Domestic violence legal services.
• Dial 9-1-1. Law enforcement is still responding to domestic violence calls, and Emergency Protective Orders are still being issued.

The Violence Against Women Act allows certain non-citizens who are in abusive situations to petition without the assistance of the abusive spouse or parent, for lawful permanent residency. These persons may include:

• The spouse of a US citizen or legal permanent resident when the abuser is the US citizen, legal resident spouse or a member of his/her family living in the home.
• The child of a US citizen or legal permanent resident when the abuser is the parent/parent’s spouse or a family member of the parent or parent’s spouse living in the home.
• The child of the battered spouse.
• The parent of the battered child.

More information is available at the Department of Public Social Services website.  

Many victims of domestic violence do not leave abusive situations because domestic violence shelters do not accept pets, and they and their pets are forced to endure abuse. For pet owners, LA County Animal Care and Control (DACC) can assist people who are experiencing safe housing issues. To find safe animal centers near you, DACC has provided a map of their locations. 

• The COLA-HI program provides temporary sheltering for pets belonging to people experiencing homelessness.
• The Ani-Safe program provides temporary housing to pets belonging to victims of domestic violence.
• DACC will provide confidential and safe housing for these animals so victims can get the services they need and move into safe living arrangements. 
• The pets are later reunited with their owners when they have found permanent safe housing.
• DACC has greatly expanded its fostering program so people can quickly and safely choose a pet to take into their home for a period of time, providing that animal with a calm and nurturing home environment. 
• Contact DACC for more information.

The consequencs of the COVID-19 pandemic has created the conditions that allow for child abuse to go undetected. Educators are the primary source of reports (20 percent) to child protective services nationwide. However, teachers, guidance counselors, and day care providers who usually serve as lifelines for vulnerable children are no longer in a daily position to witness and report suspected abuse. There are ways everyone can do their part to protect children:

• People who are concerned about a particular family can help by doing small things to ease the stress that comes with this time. Whether in the form of food, toilet paper, coloring books or just an empathetic ear, these acts of support while keeping social distancing can make a difference and ease parents’ stress. 
• Make use of technology for virtual check-ins. Look for signs of distress and be a supportive presence.
• Form parent groups to conduct remote learning for children under 5, because those younger children are at highest risk for abuse.
• How to report child abuse in LA County: The LA County Office of Child Protection is a policy-making body and does not handle any direct cases. All inquiries or reporting of specific cases should be made to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). To report child abuse in LA County, CA, please contact the Child Protection Hotline at 1-800-540-4000 or visit the DCFS website. 
• If you have an immediate emergency, call 911 or your local police department; otherwise, call DFCS Child Protective Services to report child abuse and/or neglect.
• For parents and caregivers: Find the Community-Based Organization offering preventive and support services in your Service Planning Area to call them directly, or call your Regional Office to get connected. You can also call (213) 336-2854 to speak to DCFS Preventive and Support Services staff.

by Aileen Ramirez, El Popo Staff

Tax Professionals are essential workers too!

Another job title that the news failed to recognize as heroes who continued to work during this COVID-19 pandemic were tax professionals. Many individuals rushed to get their taxes done because they were going to be dependent on any refunds they may have received from the IRS and/or the FTB after many Americans lost their jobs. 

Majority of these tax appointments can be done over the phone. All the tax preparer needs are all tax documents to be sent over via mail, email, fax, or personally dropped off with a number they can easily be reached. This is how HNR Clark, a tax office in Burbank, CA continued to operate his business. About 40% of HNR Clark’s appointments are already done over the phone; therefore, switching over ALL appointments to be done over the phone was a bit less chaotic than expected. 

T’s Tax Services is a newly tax office in Burbank with majority of their clients being Latinos. The owner of the place is Teresa Ramirez and she is an enrolled agent. Many of her clients called as soon as we went into quarantine, with hopes to be seen that week or later. However, none were capable to do an appointment over the phone. Many of her clients do not have access to a fax machine or scanner to upload documents to a laptop/desktop, as David Lopez stated, “I’m sorry I don’t have an email, nor a laptop to forward my tax information.” The places that have these devices are temporarily closed. Those who have iPhones only use their smart phone to send calls and texts. They do not have an email of their own to even attach documents to send over. Albeit, their only other option was to wait until how long this quarantine lasts, and see if they could get an appointment before July 15 since the IRS and FTB gave a 90 day extension to file taxes. On another occasion, Joanna Silva had an appointment already scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2020. She was asked if she would like to move her appointment to over the phone and she said, “No, I think I’d rather wait until I can get an in person with you”.

According to an article by Pew Research Center, “25% of Hispanics and 23% of blacks are “smart phone” only internet users — meaning they lack a home broadband service but do own a smart phone. By comparison, 12% of whites fall into this category.” Latinos rely only on their smart phones to get access to the EDD to apply to unemployment or other health and government facilities. Even those with a desktop or laptop are not tech savvy and need assistance to browse the internet. On another study, a public library ran a survey to latinos and blacks and asked if they would be interested in a free class that would teach them how to become more tech savvy and know basic digital skills. 48% of latinos were interested, 46% of blacks, and only 20% of whites said the course would be beneficial. 

Parts of the Latinx community are missing out on opportunities that technology can facilitate. Affording access to broadband or use of apps on the smartphone can help with submitting missing tax information such as a 1095A, the health insurance form that you need to file a tax return. Given the current Safer-at-Home instructions, the community struggles to send the information. Without access to the internet other use of certain apps, the yearly tax ritual under COVID-19 is increasingly difficult. Having the tax day pushed to July 15, eases the burdens.