Child abuse and neglect is reaching epidemic proportions with disastrous consequences. Judges, lawyers, physicians and other community professionals agree that tax dollars would be best spent preventing abuse and preserving families. Unfortunately, adequate resources have not been invested by state and Federal government to make significant prevention possible. One problem is that on both these levels the political constituency necessary to meet the needs of children has not been organized.
It is clear that children and families need advocates. They need a concerned body of individuals who are willing to champion their rights and fight for advances in services that benefit children. They need you.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2003, approximately 906,000 children were victims and an estimated 1,500 children died of abuse or neglect.
1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453).
What To Do If You Suspect Child Abuse
Suggestions from the Child Welfare League of America:
If it is an emergency, call your local police department. They can ensure the immediate safety of a child and get medical attention if needed.
Call your state or local child abuse hotline. If you are unsure how to report, contact Childhelp USA® National Child Abuse Hotline by telephone at 1-800-4-A-CHILD® or through their website at www.childhelpusa.org for information about how to report in your community.
Remember.... Suspicion of abuse is all that is necessary to file a report
Your information can be given anonymously
You will be asked to describe your concerns about the child and it will be helpful if you can provide:
the child's name, age, address, gender, school attended (if possible), and names of parents.
Legislation:
Increase Federal Funding for Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services (i.e., CAPTA, PSSF, and SSBG) Fully Fund the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA): CAPTA embodies the federal commitment to preventing child maltreatment, but has not been funded adequately to meet the demand for community-based prevention programs. In FY 2009, Prevent Child Abuse America urges Congress to fund CAPTA programs at their fully authorized levels: Fully funding CAPTA state grants, which provide funds for states to improve child protective services, will shorten the time that post-investigative services are delivered, and increase the number of children and families who receive these services.
Fully funding CAPTA community-based grants,which help states develop and implement effective approaches to preventing child abuse and neglect, will provide communities with additional support to implement effective prevention strategies such as parenting education, home visiting programs, mutual self-help support groups for parents, and crisis nurseries.
Fully funding CAPTA discretionary research and demonstration grants will help pay for valuable data collection, technical assistance, and grant-funded research and demonstration projects. Fully Fund Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF): PSSF grants help states pay for family support, family preservation, family reunification, and adoption support. Unfortunately, Congress provided just $63.3 million for the PSSF discretionary grant in FY 2008, $25 million less than was provided the year before, and $136.7 million short of the authorized level. Prevent Child Abuse America urges Congress to fully fund the PSSF discretionary grant at the authorized level of $200 million in FY 2009. Funding the PSSF discretionary grant at $200 million will promote the expansion of family support services in communities across the nation and provide more intensive help for families in crisis. Research is clear that by investing in positive outcomes for children and families, family support and family strengthening programs can also lead to fewer incidences of child abuse and neglect. Fully Fund the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG): HHS reports that SSBG funded preventive services for 29 percent of the total child recipients of preventive services in 2005. Despite the many critical services that SSBG makes possible, funding for the block grant has been chipped away over the past decade from a high of $2.8 billion a year to its current authorized level of $1.7 billion a year. The Administration's previous budget requests have proposed to further cut SSBG by $500 million. If enacted, this 30 percent cut will result in the reduction or elimination of critical services and programs. Prevent Child Abuse America urges Congress to fully fund SSBG at $1.7 billion in FY 2009.
I created a website www.votestrike.com for you the voters because whichever party you belong to they have failed you.
The website has ambitious goals of how to end the two party system & the third party myth. Modeled after the fall of the Berlin wall, the Polish overthrow of the communist government & the Phillipines removal of Marcos. All accomplished without firing a shot.
But we do not rely on the failed tactics of the past instead we use the election system & the very votes & voters this system relies upon.
And the site also offers campaign funding sources- who's bought off your candidate? As well as your solutions to education, lobbyist, healthcare, illegal immigration, the war on terror, the war in Iraq, crime, drugs, pedophiles, taxes. And a link page with 1000 links to more on these topics.
I'm here to ask you to check it out, it's free. And you can submit content. Thanks for your time, my name is chris.
Well, Chris, I introduced another Chris to Op-Ed news awhile back. His name was Chris Cejas. He was my grandson. He was beaten to death in a California apartment building well within the hearing of at least four apartments. The details are in the article that was posted here as "Apartment Managers Should Have a Duty to Report Child Abuse"
I too believe prevention is the key. My goal after my grandson's death was to get apartment managers mandated in the same way teachers and doctors have been mandated. Unfortunately my letters and emails to many politicians went unanswered.
The truth is, political indifference is killing our children. It is interesting to me that yours in the first article I have seen on the subject here since I wrote mine. I may have missed something but even if that is true the subject not reported about nearly enough.
As I watch bulletin after bulletin about children being murdered come into my mail box I am amazed at the apathy. Indeed people will get fired up for about five minutes then they move on to the next juicy story.
Thank you for your insightful article
by
Pat Dazis (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 20 comments)
on Friday, May 23, 2008 at 10:46:18 AM
I am so sorry for your grandson and for your loss.Please tell me that his parents were indicted and are now serving time for murdering their child.
I too was raised with an iron hand.I am now 55, and have just recently forgave my father for being so cruel and stupid while raising me.The one promise that I made to myself before I had my son, was that I would never raise a hand to him, except to hug him.He is now 25, well adjusted and has never been spanked in his life.He has truly been the blessing of my life.
I will never understand why parents abuse their children. We are supposed to be intelligent creatures who have the GOD-GIVEN capacity to love our own creations and to teach them right from wrong intelligently.Pain serves no purpose but to leave scars."Spare the rod and spoil the child" is probably the only philosophy that i disagree with in the Bible.
I am truly sad for your loss, and for the pain that your grandchild had to endure.
Whenever i see a parent physically correct their child in public, I go out of my way to shame them for doing so.
The last monster that I knew who regularly beat his son,lost his son to the prison system.I should have reported him long ago.However, back then the laws were not what they are now.
by
linda jordan (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 6 comments)
on Friday, May 23, 2008 at 1:17:15 PM
Thank you, Chris, for your article. What we do/allow to happen to our children in this country is unconscionable. As your photo shows the physical abuse is obvious and cries out for acts of intervention from all of us. Less obvious are the results of sexual and emotional abuse which are also rampant.
I recently encountered a couple of born-again evangelical christian fundamentalists who, evidently, found me worthy of hearing, from them, the "word of god". In the latter stages of our "discussions" I was provided with a church bulletin that also provided some insights into their bible study offerings. Seems satan's children HATE god's children per chapter and verse of the bible. I was appalled and sickened.
Sounds just like president bush and his cronys. Create the fear of a perceived enemy early in life and at age 18 they will be enthusiasticly ready and able to wage war against the Islamiats, terrorists, or whoever else happens to be the satan of the week. It's disgusting.
For more examples of what this country does to the World's Children see article titled "Tony Blair accused of War Crimes" by David Halpin at http://globalresearch.ca
God bless.................
by
Robert P. Philipps (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 9 comments)
on Friday, May 23, 2008 at 6:34:12 PM
3 comments
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