For nearly five decades, Dr. Evelyn Shukat has been a steadfast advocate for children. With 45 years as a pediatrician and an unwavering dedication to child abuse pediatrics, her career has been shaped by a deep sense of duty to protect society’s most vulnerable members. But the path has never been easy. The work is emotionally taxing, often heartbreaking, and chronically underfunded. And yet, for Dr. Shukat, it has always been necessary.
“Children don’t have a voice in helping themselves,” she reflects. “Back in the early ’80s, it was even worse. There was no coordinated effort to be an ombudsman for children.” This reality has shaped her career trajectory and professional mission.
From running emergency pediatric departments in New York City’s inner-city hospitals to establishing a hospital-based child advocacy center in the South Bronx, Dr. Shukat has devoted her career to ensuring that children receive the care, attention, and justice they deserve. “Wherever I was, whether running a pediatric ER in Newark, New Jersey or in East Harlem or working off Park Avenue, I created child abuse clinics – because as well as being a passion of mine, [it always represented] an immediate offshoot from my main responsibilities,” she explains. After leaving the New York area for Maryland in the late 2000s, Dr. Shukat found her current role as Medical Director at The Tree House. With a specialty Board Certification in Child Abuse Pediatrics, her experience is invaluable in supporting the children who walk through The Tree House doors each day.
What is Child Abuse Pediatrics?
Child abuse pediatrics is a subspecialty that requires a unique blend of medical expertise, forensic understanding, and psychological sensitivity. At The Tree House, as with many of her past roles, Dr. Shukat’s days are long and intense. “It takes me about three hours to see one patient,” she explains. “First I talk to the patient alone, of course, if they can talk. Then I speak to a non-offending parent [or guardian] alone. And then with the help of the nurse at [The Tree House], I examine the children.”
After each examination, she prepares detailed reports for Child Protective Services and, with parental consent, the child’s pediatrician. “Sadly, these kinds of issues are often not shared with the pediatrician,” she notes, “and they may be seeing some behavioral or medical impacts on a child, and not put it into context.” This is an important step, because the medical professionals with a role in a child’s life should be aware of, and sometimes involved in, the efforts to ensure that children have the ability and support they need to focus on healing.
Beyond seeing patients at The Tree House, Dr. Shukat also serves as a medical consultant for CPS, reviewing case files, guiding social workers through complex medical reports, and testifying in court to advocate for children who have suffered abuse. She also conducts weekly case reviews with a local hospital’s sexual assault nurse examiners to ensure the best care for young survivors.
The Power of a Safe Space
Creating an environment where children feel safe enough to share their experiences is crucial. “When [children are] abused, the abuser has been in control. So their trust factor is very low,” Dr. Shukat explains. “And for [the sake of] self protection—in addition to the fact that they don’t want to get in trouble—I would say 90% of these kids blame themselves.”
That’s why she has carefully crafted her office to be welcoming and child-friendly. “There’s lots of big stuffed animals and stuff hanging from the ceiling,” she shares. “It’s like a fun but bizarre kind of atmosphere, and the kids love it.” This intentional environment, combined with respect and patience, helps children feel secure enough to share their experiences.
Despite the critical nature of this work, child abuse pediatrics remains an extraordinarily rare specialty. “In the country, there’s just a little over 450 board certified child abuse pediatricians,” Dr. Shukat explains. “The care of abused children is a very, very expensive enterprise. You have to pay social workers, therapists, interviewers, physicians…” But regardless of the costs, the continuing need for these services is staggering. “Kids are abused all over the place: [as many as] one in four kids, and they need help,” she emphasizes.
Even with the urgency of this need and the widespread blight of abuse, child advocacy centers like The Tree House struggle to maintain the support they need to provide young survivors with every resource they deserve. “[Despite how common it is] most adults don’t talk about being abused because of the trauma… and that’s just one reason why funding is so difficult to get: it’s intimidating [as a topic], and also a stark reminder of what’s happened to them.”
A Lifelong Commitment
After 49 years in medicine, Dr. Shukat’s dedication remains unwavering. Her perspective on the challenges of caring for children who have experienced abuse is sobering but important: “I’ve been doing this a long time and that’s the sad part for me that the struggle hasn’t gotten easier to take care of them. It’s even gotten more difficult.”
The message is clear: these children need specialized care from experts who understand their trauma and can advocate for their wellbeing. As Dr. Shukat emphasizes, “The experiences of these children demands the expertise to take care of them. And it’s an ongoing battle.”
Through her work at The Tree House and her decades of dedication to this field, Dr. Shukat continues to be a voice for those who need it most. Her career stands as a testament to the power of unwavering commitment in the face of society’s most challenging issues, and the profound impact one person can have when they dedicate their life to protecting those who cannot protect themselves.
By taking the time to read about Dr. Shukat’s work, you’re helping to increase awareness of the essential role that each and every professional at The Tree House plays in combatting child abuse and caring for young survivors. If you learned something from what Dr. Shukat shared, consider forwarding this post to a few of your friends, or even sharing it on social media. With your help, we can make a lasting difference for the thousands of children currently facing abuse or neglect in Maryland, and beyond.
