Senator
John Kerry’s office hosted a Congressional briefing and press
conference sponsored by the Children’s Advocacy Institute and First Star
on Tuesday to release the second edition of a national
report
on the deaths of children as a result of child abuse. The briefing
included panelists Robert Fellmeth with the Children’s Advocacy
Institute, Amy Harfeld, Children’s Policy Consultant, Betty Krupa with
Senator Landrieu’s office, Danielle Jennings at Blessed Haven, Inc. in
Maryland, Elissa Garr with First Star, and Kimberly Day with the
National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths. Two of the panelists
shared heartbreaking stories of their experience of child abuse. Their
stories revealed the potential for success after life-threatening
tragedy, but also the critical importance of effective system responses
and ideally prevention in the first place.
First
Star originally released the report of child abuse fatalities in 2008.
Both editions include state-wide evaluations of child welfare practices
that attribute letter grades based on their public disclosure of child
abuse or neglect deaths and near deaths. A major concern raised by the
second edition of the report is that many states still do not meet many
federal requirements. At the same time, the report also reveals that
eleven states have improved public disclosure since 2008. First Star and
the Children’s Advocacy Institute encourage disclosure of unmet
standards within the foster system in order to improve the system and
prevent child abuse deaths at a more effective rate. In looking to
federal responses, Kim Day with the National Coalition to End Child
Abuse Deaths described the proposed
Protect Our Kids Act.
The Act would establish a national commission to develop a national
strategy to improve maltreatment responses and prevent child fatalities.
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