Hearing Of The Subcommittee On Preventing Child Abuse And Neglect Of The House Committee On Education And Labor- "Preventing Child Abuse And Improving Responses To Families In Crisis"

Statement

I'd like to welcome our witnesses to this hearing. Today are dealing with a very difficult and
upsetting subject, abuse and neglect, which sometimes result in fatalities.
We will hear from witnesses on how to improve responses for and prevent violence and abuse in
families in crisis.
Abuse, neglect and fatalities are of significant social concerns in our nation. The official number
of children killed from abuse or neglect nationwide in 2007 is 1,760. In 2001, the total was
1,300.
Three-quarters of the fatalities are children are under four. As a nurse for 30 years, I have seen
firsthand the risks and illnesses that can result due to abuse and neglect.
We know that children who experience abuse or neglect, and children that witness abuse have
their sense of security, trust and safety shaken to the core.
Studies show that young children are more likely to be reported as victims. In fact, of all cases,
the maltreatment rate for infants was twenty one percent and for children ages one to three it was
13 percent.
The majority of child victims experience neglect. In fact, more than 60 percent of the children
who come to the attention of child welfare authorities are victims of neglect.
They're victims of acts of omission in terms of their care, in terms of their well being.
Sometimes these instances of neglect happen due to the simple fact that parents need assistance.
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These parents are not monsters, rather they need to be connected with available services or
perhaps they need help with basic parental know-how.
We know from studies that the impact of chronic, long-term neglect is devastating to the
development of children.
Victims of abuse and neglect are more likely to have developmental delays, and impaired
language or cognitive skills. They are more likely to be arrested for delinquency and violent
criminal behavior as adults.
We also know they have poor health outcomes as adults.
Over thirty-five years ago Congress enacted the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act -- or
"CAPTA"-- with a very simple purpose: creating a single federal focus to deal with the front
end issues associated with child abuse and neglect.
I like to think of CAPTA prevention programs as the first line of defense in the child welfare
system. The CAPTA formula and competitive grants focus on the prevention of child abuse and
ensuring continued well-being and safety of children.
The CAPTA programs consist of two major grant programs, as well as targeted research, data
collection and dissemination and technical assistance to the states.
These grant programs provide funding for improvements to child protective services, promising
prevention efforts and for community-based efforts to prevent abuse and neglect.
CAPTA provides grants to states for "technical assistance" and require states to have laws
related to reporting child abuse, investigation procedures and procedures and resources for
working with affected families.
In order to receive funds, States must meet a minimal definition of child abuse and neglect.
While CAPTA has brought much needed attention and change to the issues of child
maltreatment, this number remains too high.
The rates of physical abuse have decreased in recent years, but the rates of neglect have
remained disturbingly constant.
And we know that difficult financial times can certainly aggravate violence and victims with
fewer personal resources become increasingly vulnerable.
For example, since the economic crisis began, it has been reported that three out of four domestic
violence shelters have reported an increase in women seeking assistance from abuse.
That means we have more work to do, which is why I am holding this hearing today. Thank you
all for being here and I look forward to the testimony.

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