Congress Pressed to Act to Curb Child-Abuse Deaths

HOLD FOR RELEASE AT 12:01 A.M. EDT; chart shows estimated number of child fatalities in the U.S. due to mistreatment, with BC-US--Child Abuse

(AP)

Armed with grim statistics, experts and activists are mobilizing this week to demand expanded federal efforts — including more money and tougher oversight — to reverse a recent rise in the number of children dying from abuse and neglect.

Child-welfare advocates gathering for a rally and conference in Washington say America should be embarrassed to have a child-abuse death rate far higher than other wealthy democracies. They cite the latest federal figures showing that an estimated 1,760 U.S. children died from abuse and neglect in 2007 — up 35 percent from 2001.

"Child abuse and neglect are national problems that require national solutions," said Michael Petit, president of the Every Child Matters Education Fund. "That means federal lawmakers must work with states to address what causes it, be more consistent in how data about it are shared, and increase support for the agencies that work to stop it."

The recession is inflicting a further hit, with many states imposing budget cuts that affect child welfare programs. Abuse deaths are up sharply in some areas — authorities in Nevada's Clark County, home to Las Vegas, have tallied 37 abuse deaths so far this year, compared to 18 in all of 2008.

Every Child Matters is releasing a report Wednesday, a day ahead of the two-day child abuse conference, contending that inadequate resources are stretching state child-protection agencies too thin to properly serve at-risk children and their families.

The report — which brings together data compiled by a variety of federal, state and private agencies — says per capita spending on child protection varies widely by state, as does the diligence of state agencies in collecting statistics on abuse fatalities.

"The differences between the states are so vast that there's got to be a federal intervention that's stronger than present or these children will continue to die at these high rates," Petit said.