A National Strategy to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities
Every day, four to eight children in the United States die from abuse or neglect at the hands of their parents or caretakers. No one knows the exact number, and there has been little progress in preventing these tragic deaths. Most of the children who die are infants or toddlers. Concern for these most vulnerable citizens led Congress to create the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF) in 2013. The president and Congress appointed a diverse group of 12 Commissioners, with the hope that they could identify a national strategy to end child maltreatment fatalities in our country. This final report discusses what the Commissioners learned about the gap between good intentions and real results, and it outlines the challenges that lie ahead if we are to bridge that divide. It includes recommendations for actions that they believe will most effectively address these challenges, including steps to be taken by the executive branch, Congress, and states and counties.