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Graduation day at a Van Nuys, Calif., high school is bittersweet for 11 friends who started their freshman year together; only three received diplomas. Genaro Molina - Los Angles Times.

RESOURCES /
 CHILD WELFARE
An estimated 899,000 children were neglected or abused in 2005, the most recent year for which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has data. Of these, the vast majority - 63 percent - suffered neglect, 17 percent were physically abused, 9 percent were sexually abused, 7 percent were emotionally or psychologically maltreated, and 2 percent experienced medical neglect. Also, 14 percent of the victims experienced additional maltreatment, such as abandonment, threats of harm or being born with a drug addiction.

Roughly 513,000 of these youngsters were removed from their homes and placed in state-supervised care that year.

 
If you don't find what you need on this page, you may visit these pages for a longer list of sources.
Dependency Courts
Foster Care/Child Welfare
Neglect/Abuse

FAST FACTS

New CDC research, released in April 2008 and the first published national analysis of substantiated nonfatal maltreatment of infants, finds that the risk for non-fatal maltreatment in the first year of life is greatest during the first week following birth. In fiscal year 2006, a total of 91,278 infants aged <1 year experienced nonfatal maltreatment, including 29,881 (32.7%) who were aged <1 week.

An estimated 14 percent of U.S. children have experienced some form of child maltreatment, the journal Child Maltreatment reported in February 2005. Emotional abuse - through rejection, threat, shaming and more - affected 75 percent of these children.

Women (mostly mothers) are the most common perpetrators of maltreatment. State data suggest women are perpetrators in 58 percent of cases, while men are the perpetrators in 42 percent of cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

The federal government's Administration for Children and Families provides state-by-state statistics on confirmed cases of child maltreatment, with breakouts for neglect, physical or sexual abuse and psychological maltreatment.

GENERAL CHILD WELFARE SOURCES

Government Sources

Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; www.acf.hhs.gov
ACF oversees public foster care and other federal programs that promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals and communities.
Contact: 202.401.9215; officeofpublicaffairs@acf.hhs.gov
Its Children's Bureau monitors state public welfare services through several efforts, including:
- Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System; http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/
afcars/tar/report13.htm
AFCARS reports provide statistics on children in the public welfare system, including total population, demographics, time spent in care and much more. The most recent data are for fiscal year 2005.
- Child and Family Service Reviews
Since 2001, the reviews evaluate each state's performance in meeting goals for the safety, permanency and well-being of children in state-supervised care during a specific period.

Child Welfare Information Gateway; http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/statistics/
adoption.cfm#gen
A service of ACF's Children's Bureau, the gateway aggregates information on child welfare, child neglect and abuse, adoption, search and reunion, and more. The site offers data and statistics, backgrounders, links to related organizations and contact information. Its National Foster Care & Adoption Directory offers adoption and foster care resources by state.
Contact: Sandi McLeod, senior child welfare specialist; smcleod@childwelfare.gov

Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives; http://waysandmeans.house.gov/about.asp?section=54&comm=2 Its Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support has jurisdiction over child and family services, foster care and adoption, among other things.
Contact: Ways and Means, 202.225.3625

Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate;
http://www.senate.gov/~finance/
Its Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions and Family Policy oversees policy and programs involving child and family services, foster care and adoption.
Contact: Finance, 202.224.4515

Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics;
www.ChildStats.gov
 A collaboration of federal agencies and departments, the forum fosters coordination in collecting and reporting federal statistics on family and social environment, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, economic circumstances, health and health care. Such data are compiled in the annual report, "America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-being," released each July. The 2007 data is available. http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/index.asp
Contact: Shara Godiwalla, forum director, 301.458.4256; sgodiwalla@cdc.gov. Or, reach agency representatives via http://www.childstats.gov/topiccontacts.asp

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare; http://www.ncsacw.samhsa.gov/index.asp
Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the center addresses cross-system issues involving child welfare, substance abuse, dependency courts and tribal and family judicial systems. It collects and disseminates analysis and research to help child welfare and other professionals improve their services and policies.
Contact: Kay Springer, media team leader, 240.276.2141; kay.springer@samhsa.hhs.gov

Other Sources

ABA Center on Children and the Law;
http://www.abanet.org/child/home.html
 A program of the American Bar Association, it aims to improve children's lives through advances in law, justice, knowledge, practice and public policy. Its areas of expertise include child abuse and neglect, child welfare and protective services system enhancement, foster care, family preservation, termination of parental rights, parental substance abuse, adolescent health and domestic violence.
Contact: 202.662.1720; ctrchildlaw@abanet.org

American Public Human Services Association;
http://www.aphsa.org
 The nonprofit organization represents state and local human service agencies and individuals who work in or are interested in these programs. It strives to develop and promote policies and practices that improve the health and well-being of families, children and adults. Its focus includes child welfare, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, child care, child support, Medicaid, food stamps and other program areas affecting families, the elderly and people who are economically disadvantaged.
Contact: Frank Solomon, communications director, 202.682.0100, Ext. 285; fsolomon@aphsa.org

Annie E. Casey Foundation; www.aecf.org
The nonprofit foundation, based in Baltimore, aims to foster public policies, human-service reforms and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today's vulnerable children and families. Its Kids Count Data Center http://www.kidscount.org/datacenter/ , an outgrowth of the child well-being report it releases each summer, contains state- and city-level data for over 100 measures of child well-being, including health.
Contact: Laura Beavers, research associate, 410.223.2975; lbeavers@aecf.org

Brookings Institution; http://www.brookings.edu/
The think tank supports a wide scope of research. Its Metropolitan Policy Program provides information on changing economics and demographics. Its Center on Children and Families examines policies affecting the well-being of U.S. children and their parents, especially children in less advantaged families. It co-publishes the journal Future of Children, which in fall 2007 focused on "The Next Generation of Antipoverty Policies."
Contact: Communications office, 202.797.6105; communications@brookings.edu

Center for Law and Social Policy; www.clasp.org
The national nonprofit works to improve the economic security, educational and workforce prospects and family stability of low-income parents and children. It offers reports, policy briefs and fact sheets on child welfare.
Contact: Cyra Master, 202.906.8027; cmaster@clasp.org

Child Trends Inc.; www.childtrends.org
The nonprofit organization provides data-driven, evidence-based guidance on child policy and practice, and it tracks trends and identifies emerging issues. Child welfare - including maltreatment, foster care and adoption - is among its 13 areas of study. Child Trends' data bank offers fact sheets, reports and statistics.
Contact: David Carrier, outreach director, 202.572.6138; DCarrier@childtrends.org

Child Welfare League of America; www.cwla.org
The association represents nearly 800 public and private nonprofit agencies that assist more than 3.5 million neglected and abused children and their families each year with a range of services. Its many programs include those on child protection, domestic violence and juvenile justice. CWLA maintains a National Data Analysis System of child welfare data and statistics.
Contact: Joyce Johnson, communications director, 804.492.4519 (central Virginia); jjohnson@cwla.org

Children’s Defense Fund; www.childrensdefense.org
The nonprofit organization supports children's healthy growth and development. It does research and advocacy for all children, giving particular attention to poor and minority children and those with disabilities.
Contact: Ed Shelleby, press secretary, 202.662.3602; eshelleby@childrensdefense.org

Children's Rights; http://www.childrensrights.org/
Children's Rights is a national watchdog organization advocating on behalf of abused and neglected children in the United States. The organization uses legal action and policy initiatives to create lasting improvements in child protection, foster care and adoption. It began as a project of the American Civil Liberties Union and became an independent nonprofit organization in 1995.
Contact: Chris Iseli; communications director; 212.683.2210; ciseli@childrensrights.org

National Association of Counties; www.naco.org
The nonprofit organization gathers data and other information on the full range of economic issues affecting counties, including health care, housing, education, labor and employment, transportation and human services. The site's national, state and county maps link to information on geography, demographics and governance.
Contact: Jim Philipps, media relations manager, 202.942.4220; jphilipps@naco.org

National Association of Social Workers; www.socialworkers.org
NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies. Contact: Allison Nadelhaft, senior communications associate, 202.336.8228; anadelhaft@naswdc.org

National Center for Children in Poverty; www.nccp.org
Founded in 1989 at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, the nonprofit research center promotes the economic security, health and well-being of America's low-income families and children. It produces state- and federally focused reports and fact sheets that highlight strategies to end child poverty. (See its fact sheet, "Basic Facts About Low-Income Children in the United States.")
Contact: Morris Ardoin, communications director, 646.284.9616; ardoin@nccp.org

National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues; http://www.abanet.org/child/rclji/aboutus.html
A service of the federal Children's Bureau, the resource center is part of the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law. It promotes the improvement of laws and judicial decision-making to ensure safety, permanence and well-being for abused and neglected children. It provides training and technical assistance to agencies and courts.
Contact: Mark Hardin, director, 202.662.1750; markhardin@staff.abanet.org

National Coalition for Child Protection Reform; http://www.nccpr.org/
The nonprofit organization promotes improving policies concerning child abuse, foster care and family preservation. It contends that too many children enter foster care instead of remaining at home with supportive services.
Contact: Richard Wexler, executive director, 703.212.2006; rwexler@nccpr.org

National Conference of State Legislatures; www.ncsl.org
The bipartisan organization serves state legislators and staffs. Its experts - on subjects from family economic success to social services to immigration - can identify trends, and its Web site suggests story ideas.
Contact: 303.364.7700 (Denver headquarters), 202.624.5400 (Washington, D.C.)

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; www.ncjfcj.org/
The council provides training, technical assistance and research to improve the nation's courts, judges and staff. It also works to raise awareness of core issues affecting children and families, including: child abuse and neglect, adoption and foster care, family violence, and alcohol and other drug abuse. It runs the National Center for Juvenile Justice and the Resource Center on Domestic Violence, which provides information on domestic violence and child protection
Contact: Jackie Ruffin, communications manager, 775.784.6686; jruffin@ncjfcj.org

National Council of La Raza; www.nclr.org
The nation's largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization conducts applied research, policy analysis and advocacy. It provides a Latino perspective in five research areas: employment and economic status, assets/investments, civil rights/immigration, education and health. NCLA also assists state and local affiliates working with individuals and families.
Contact: Office of public information, 202.785.1670; opi@nclr.org

Society for Research in Child Development; www.srcd.org
The nonprofit, multidisciplinary association has roughly 5,500 member researchers, practitioners and human development professionals. SRCD seeks to encourage practitioners and policymakers to apply research findings to public policies. Among its publications are a quarterly Social Policy Report and the bimonthly Child Development journal.
Contact: Mary Ann McCabe, communications director, 202.289.7902; mmccabe@srcd.org

UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities; http://www.healthychild.ucla.edu/
The center aims to improve society's ability to provide children with the best opportunities for health, well-being and the chance to assume productive roles within families and communities. It works to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and distribution of health and social services. Its research also addresses efforts to reduce neglect and abuse.
Contact: 310.794.2583; chcfc@ucla.edu

Voices for America’s Children; http://www.voicesforamericaschildren.org
The nonprofit organization coordinates a nationwide network of state and local child advocacy agencies. It advocates for public policies to ensure that every child is healthy and educated; safe from abuse, violence and poverty; and nurtured by family and community.
Contact: Halle Czechowski, communications vice president, 202.289.0777, Ext. 211; czechowski@voices.org
Stories from CJC Summary
“ ‘Safe Surrender’ Program for Newborns Languishes for Lack of Funding, Responsibility”
Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times
 California’s “safe surrender” program, allowing parents to leave unwanted newborns at fire stations and hospitals without penalty, is in danger, with little money and no state agency responsible for publicizing or overseeing it, according to a highly critical state audit released this week. Although 218 California babies have been surrendered safely since the state approved the practice in 2001, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Gov. Gray Davis vetoed bills that would have funded a public awareness campaign so young parents would know there was an alternative to abandoning a child. The findings do not surprise Debbe Magnusen, founder of Project Cuddle, a private program in Orange County that has rescued 631 babies separately from the state program. Ma said the state isn’t doing enough to avoid infants dying after being abandoned. Responding to a series of incidents in which abandoned babies died, the state enacted a law that allows a parent or other person having lawful custody of a baby 72 hours old or younger to surrender the baby confidentially and legally to staff at a hospital or other designated safe-surrender site. The state Department of Social Services’ legal obligation to oversee the program ended in 2006. Each county has been left to promote and oversee the programs, and the results have varied considerably, with some counties doing little, the audit found.
More >
 
“Child Advocates Seek More Abuse Data”
Wendy Koch, USA Today
 Most states do not release adequate information on the deaths or serious injuries of abused and neglected children, two child advocacy groups found in a report released Tuesday. That means child welfare systems cannot be held accountable nor future tragedies averted, according to the report by the University of San Diego School of Law Children’s Advocacy Institute and First Star, a nonprofit group whose purpose is to help abused and neglected children. “Maximum transparency is what we’re after here,” said Amy Harfeld, executive director of First Star. She also said that the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, up for renewal this year, should clarify and strengthen disclosure requirements, such as the cause and circumstances of a case, the age and gender of the child, and whether and how a social services agency had been monitoring the family. Only two states, Nevada and New Hampshire, were graded “A” in the report. Four – California, Indiana, Iowa and Oregon – got an “A minus.” Ten received failing grades.
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“Child Death Review System Suffers From Lack of Funding” (part of a series)
Kevin Graman, The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.)
 The state of Washington’s once prestigious child death review system has declined in recent years because of lack of funding. Between 1997 and 2003, system leaders – with the help of volunteer teams – investigated the unexpected deaths of more than 1,600 children through 17 years of age. The Legislature invested about $500,000 a year in the effort, a data-gathering on child deaths that was the envy of other states and public health campaigns. State funding was lost in 2003; some districts have tried to cover local program costs, but find it harder to identify and respond to fatality trends. About 250 child deaths each year are categorized as unexpected, or 35 percent of total child deaths in Washington.
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