At least 1,800 children die from abuse and neglect every year, and the total is probably considerably greater. Between a third and a half of these deaths may involve families that were already known to Child Protective Services through previous reports of maltreatment. Legislators, advocates, and the public need timely information about the circumstances leading to these events so they can identify policy and practice changes necessary to protect children. Federal law requires every state to have a policy that provides for publicly disclosing findings or information about child fatalities or near fatalities resulting from child abuse or neglect. However, the federal requirement is worded vaguely and has never been interpreted in regulations. Congress should change federal law to clarify current language and establish parameters for states in interpreting the law. Absent change at the federal level, states should amend their own policies to clarify terms and eliminate exceptions that violate the goal of transparency, require prompt notifications of maltreatment fatalities and near fatalities reported to agencies, and make comprehensive information available on request for all such cases.
Authors
- Pages
- 32
- Published in
- United States of America
Table of Contents
- H OW F ED ER A L A N D STATE L AWS A N D POLICIES PREVENT MEANINGFUL DISCLOSURE ABOUT CHILD MALTREATMENT FATALITIES AND NEAR FATALITIES 1
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 4
- MARIE COHEN 4
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 5
- MARIE COHEN 5
- What Federal Law Requires 5
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 6
- MARIE COHEN 6
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 7
- MARIE COHEN 7
- State Disclosure Requirements for Child Maltreatment Fatalities and Near Fatalities 7
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 8
- MARIE COHEN 8
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 9
- MARIE COHEN 9
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 10
- MARIE COHEN 10
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 11
- MARIE COHEN 11
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 12
- MARIE COHEN 12
- Information Released Routinely 12
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 13
- MARIE COHEN 13
- Needed Changes to Federal and State Legislation 13
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 14
- MARIE COHEN 14
- Conclusion 14
- About the Author 14
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 15
- MARIE COHEN 15
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 16
- MARIE COHEN 16
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 17
- MARIE COHEN 17
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 18
- MARIE COHEN 18
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 19
- MARIE COHEN 19
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 20
- MARIE COHEN 20
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 21
- MARIE COHEN 21
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 22
- MARIE COHEN 22
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 23
- MARIE COHEN 23
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 24
- MARIE COHEN 24
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 25
- MARIE COHEN 25
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 26
- MARIE COHEN 26
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 27
- MARIE COHEN 27
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 28
- MARIE COHEN 28
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 29
- MARIE COHEN 29
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 30
- MARIE COHEN 30
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 31
- MARIE COHEN 31
- KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE DARK 32
- MARIE COHEN 32
