Department of Public Welfare: Improved Outreach, Public Education Lead to Decline in Pennsylvania Child Abuse Cases

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Increased family and community outreach about child abuse prevention and greater public education about the causes of abuse contributed to a decline in child abuse in 2009, acting Welfare Secretary Harriet Dichter said today.

The 2009 Annual Child Abuse Report, released in recognition of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, shows reports of suspected abuse and substantiated cases of abuse in the state fell from 2008 to 2009.

"Pennsylvania is taking a decidedly more proactive approach to child abuse prevention, in part by focusing on finding and fixing the root causes of abuse or neglect," Dichter said. "I see the decline in child abuse cases as a strong sign that these efforts are working."

The 2009 report shows:

• Reports of suspected child abuse declined to 25,342 last year, down from 25,655 reports in 2008.
• Substantiated abuse cases fell to 3,943 in 2009 from 4,201 in 2008.
• Sexual abuse was found in 51 percent of all substantiated reports in 2009, also a decrease from the previous year.
• The majority of Pennsylvania counties – 39 of 67 – saw a decline in the number of abuse cases reported.

The Department of Public Welfare has worked closely with county children and youth agencies in recent years to better assess the safety of children who are referred to and involved with the child welfare system, Dichter said. In addition to building parenting knowledge and skills, such assessments look at factors including a family's disciplinary practices, the risk of substance abuse by household members, and the ability of parents to protect their children. For any threat that cannot be readily mitigated, a safety plan is developed with the family.

The commonwealth also enacted stricter background checks in 2008 for prospective foster and adoptive families and employees of child care facilities. This law has helped reduce the threat of abuse to children in foster homes, day care facilities and schools.

The Pennsylvania Children's Trust Fund provides another resource for child abuse prevention. The fund, sustained primarily through a $10 surcharge on all marriage and divorce applications, supports community-based programs that focus on aiding families and children who are considered at-risk of abuse or neglect.

Dichter also credited the ongoing work of Pennsylvania's child advocates, who have helped make the public aware of resources to both prevent child abuse and help children who already have been abused.

The Department of Public Welfare will build on these efforts with the formation of Citizen Review Panels to help evaluate state and local child welfare systems to ensure they provide the best possible services. The panels will evaluate practices, policies and procedures and develop additional means for public outreach.

The department also maintains a central registry for abuse reports and operates ChildLine, a toll-free, 24-hour hotline that allows anyone to anonymously report suspected abuse. The number is 1-800-932-0313.

For more information on child abuse awareness and prevention, visit the Department of Public Welfare's Web site at www.dpw.state.pa.us.

Media contact: Beth Myers, 717-787-4592

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare