Gov. Bill Ritter and Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien are making great strides in advancing children’s access to preschool, education and health care in our state. However, there remains a moral and social responsibility to immediately address the needs of the children who need us most – the children who are currently in the child welfare system and face the greatest levels of risk.

Almost half of the child abuse reports made this past year have not had the proper follow-up because our system is by all accounts over-burdened. And Colorado is currently investigating 13 child deaths statewide that were reported cases of child abuse that “fell through the cracks.”

Colorado ranks fifth in the nation in terms of wealth and per-capita income. Yet we have the eighth highest rate of children living in poverty. Colorado is home to one of the largest concentrations of bachelor’s degree graduates in the United States. Yet we rank among the bottom ten states in terms of the number of students who graduate from high school.

There is no excuse for a state with so much wealth and potential to not protect its greatest resource: our children.

Research has shown that children who experience abuse are 59 percent more likely to be arrested as juveniles, 28 percent more likely to be arrested as adults and 30 percent more likely to commit violent crimes. Other studies have found that as these children age they are up to seven times more likely to experience major health problems.

In short, they will become drains on our society rather than contributors.

But the situation is not without hope. Research on risk and resilience demonstrates that children who have been abused can overcome adversity and thrive when they receive protection, treatment and access to positive influences and support.

We can make a difference in these children’s lives. In fact, we must. It is our responsibility during this election season to ask the important questions and ensure that child welfare is part of the political dialogue. We need to support the candidates who prioritize the prevention and treatment of child abuse.

State government will have to play a key role if Colorado is going to move from a state of too many at-risk children to a state where children are protected and prized. Some important legislative steps include mandating a maximum number of caseloads that county caseworkers are allowed to carry, and expanding state and county interagency collaboration to reduce service fragmentation, increase efficiency and streamline services to provide a comprehensive continuum of care.

But it will take a commitment from all of us to turn this situation around. It is time for leaders from business, philanthropic, academic and faith communities to collaborate and join government leaders in the fight to prevent child abuse in Colorado.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and hence another opportunity to learn more about these important issues. We invite readers to visit http://www.childabuse.org/ecm-caa.html to read the Children’s Action Agenda, a brand-new comprehensive agenda to help educate the public as well as help legislators introduce and measure policies that better serve children in our state. We encourage everyone to sign this important online petition and to let our state government know that children – all children – must be a political priority.

BECKY MILLER UPDIKE
Director of Strategic Initiatives and Every Child Matters Campaign
Tennyson Center for Children

BOB COOPER
President
Tennyson Center for Children
Denver

This entry was posted on Monday, April 28th, 2008 at 10:39 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.