PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — T-shirts line the walls at Pasco Kids First.
“These are the t-shirts that the children make in therapy where they can express their feelings in how they felt about the trauma that they have experienced,” said Jon Wisenbaker, Team Coordinator for the Child Protection Team.
The shirts are a visible sign of how the children’s advocacy group helps kids who’ve experienced all kinds of abuse.
“Pasco County receives around 5,000 or more child abuse reports every year,” said Wisenbaker.
Each report is a separate allegation of abuse.
“You think of the significance of that number. It’s very concerning just the sheer number of reports,” said Wisenbaker.
Pasco Kids First works closely with the sheriff’s office, reviewing every single one of those reports that come in—at least 10 to 30 child abuse cases each morning.
Recently, Wisenbaker has noticed a troubling trend.
“Not that long ago, we started seeing fentanyl being an issue, and child abuse, of course, is a factor with abuse and neglect,” said Wisenbaker.
The opioid epidemic is now reaching children, with fentanyl at the helm.
“Fentanyl is a very powerful substance, and it can easily kill someone. If a child is walking around the home and they grab something and pick it up and put it in their mouth, it can easily kill a small child,” said Wisenbaker.
Pasco Kids First often sees cases where a caregiver overdoses on fentanyl, leaving the child to call 911 for help.
“It’s very concerning because it’s very traumatic to the children in the home,” said Wisenbaker.
He said there’s also been an uptick in fentanyl affecting unborn babies and pregnant mothers battling addiction.
“Unfortunately, we do see situations where the fentanyl use causes the baby to not be born,” said Wisenbaker.
As he and his team work tirelessly to address the thousands of child abuse cases in Pasco County every year, they worry about what’s next and how much worse things can get as fentanyl becomes more widespread.
“So, really, where do we go from here? How do we address this issue, and where’s it going to be five years from now?” asked Wisenbaker.
These are the questions they’re trying to answer through awareness, pushing for funding, and policy changes.
“The only thing we can do is get fentanyl off the streets and get it out of the hands of people,” said Wisenbaker.
In the meantime, the t-shirts on the walls at Pasco Kids First serve as a reminder of all the children who’ve survived with their help.
“It really makes us feel good about the work that we do,” said Wisenbaker.
But the work they do takes a village.
“We always need community support. We’re always looking for people to volunteer with projects. We’re looking for people to donate money so that we can make sure that we have the appropriate staff to be able to address the issues we face on a daily basis,” said Wisenbaker.
