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Ensure Children Have Safe and Healthy Homes

Target: U.S. Congress
Sponsored by: American Humane Association

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) was passed in 1974 because of increasing public awareness of the need to ensure the safety and welfare of children. CAPTA provides federal money to state and local communities like yours for programs and services to prevent abuse, protect children and strengthen families.

Each year, almost 1 million American children experience abuse and neglect. Of these children, 60 percent suffer neglect, 19 percent physical abuse, 10 percent sexual abuse, and 7 percent emotional maltreatment. All of these forms of abuse can have a lifelong psychological and physical impact on a child. And shockingly, approximately 1400 children are killed each year from abuse, most of whom are under the age of one.

Every five years, CAPTA gets reauthorized. This year it is up for review again. President Bush has already cut many important human service programs in this year's budget (including domestic violence and juvenile justice funds). We need your help to ensure these cuts do not affect the safety of children.

Please ask Congress to not only maintain current funding levels, but to increase funding to keep up with today's economy, so that all children can live in safe and healthy homes.

deadline: Ongoing...
goal: 30,000

21,048
signatures!

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Tell Congress why you want programs to prevent child abuse.

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Dear [member of Congress],

I am writing to you today to ask for your support for increasing the budget for state grants, community-based prevention grants, and research grants supported by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). Our nation's child welfare system is stretched beyond capacity to handle the full scope of the problem. Appropriate services for families and children who have been victimized by abuse or neglect are lacking, and insufficient funding has been allocated for the prevention of child maltreatment.

And now, I fear that this situation may only get worse. President Bush has already cut many important human service programs in this year's budget (including domestic violence and juvenile justice funds), and I strongly oppose cutting into budgets for child abuse services.

Our child protection system demands adequate investment. Continuing to do otherwise is far too costly. A 2003 study calculated the total costs of child abuse to exceed $87 billion annually -- $258 million dollars a day -- a figure that includes the immediate direct costs (such as law enforcement, medical treatment, child welfare services and foster care) and long-term indirect costs (including juvenile delinquency and crime, special education, and lost productivity).

Yet, according to the Urban Institute, out of more than $20 billion spent each year on child welfare in federal, state and local funds, states typically spend just between 10 and 15 percent on prevention and the protection of children. We have a spending gap in this country in services to prevent child abuse and to intervene on behalf of children known to the child protection system.
It would be good business sense if we invested our resources in child protection and prevention services the way we should.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Dr. James J. Heckman has concluded in his research that "early childhood interventions of high quality have lasting effects on learning and motivation." An additional analysis conducted by Federal Reserve Bank economists recognizes that "investment in early childhood development yields an extraordinary return, far exceeding the return on most investments, private or public ... that are currently funded as economic development." And at a recent Senate hearing, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke noted "a significant return towards investing in young kids."

Preventing child abuse is cost effective. Putting dollars aside for prevention is sound investing, not luxury spending. We urge you to put together the resources to support preventive services and treatment services that can save us money in the long run.

It is crucial that Congress makes the protection of children a priority. Therefore I urge you to support increased funding for CAPTA.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

We signed the “Ensure Children Have Safe and Healthy Homes” petition!

# 200:

6:10 pm PDT, Mar 26, Elizabeth Oehrn, Sweden

# 199:

6:00 pm PDT, Mar 26, John Hinds, Oklahoma

# 198:

5:52 pm PDT, Mar 26, Dana W, Texas

# 197:

5:49 pm PDT, Mar 26, Sandra Williamson, Colorado
What if it was YOUR child or grandchild who was being abused!?!

# 196:

5:46 pm PDT, Mar 26, Pamela WolfSong, Rhode Island

# 195:

5:39 pm PDT, Mar 26, Evert Jan Klein Velderman, Netherlands

# 194:

5:22 pm PDT, Mar 26, David Gould, United Kingdom

# 193:

5:20 pm PDT, Mar 26, Art Of paul batou, California

# 192:

5:17 pm PDT, Mar 26, Name not displayed, Michigan

# 191:

5:16 pm PDT, Mar 26, Black Tiger Petersen, Canada

# 190:

5:15 pm PDT, Mar 26, Jennifer Melanson, New Jersey
Even in the most basic societies going back thousands of years knew that one basic principle was vital towards their survival and that is to protect the children. Without the children every society is meaningless because it will end very shortly. The children are our future and the best assets that we have and as every good businessman or woman will tell you you need to protect your assets to procure your future

# 189:

5:14 pm PDT, Mar 26, Name not displayed, Washington
Every child deserves a safe environment to grow.

# 188:

5:12 pm PDT, Mar 26, Frank Herrmann, Florida

# 187:

5:11 pm PDT, Mar 26, Karen Mondale, California

# 186:

5:09 pm PDT, Mar 26, Charles Mclachlan, United Kingdom

# 185:

5:09 pm PDT, Mar 26, Carmen Stauss, Indiana

# 184:

5:08 pm PDT, Mar 26, Barb Brewington, Missouri

# 183:

5:04 pm PDT, Mar 26, INGRID PEETERS, Spain

# 182:

4:58 pm PDT, Mar 26, Pamela White, North Carolina

# 181:

4:55 pm PDT, Mar 26, Dana Hoffman, Minnesota

# 180:

4:52 pm PDT, Mar 26, Sierra Vincent, Washington

# 179:

4:46 pm PDT, Mar 26, Donna Collins, Kentucky

# 178:

4:39 pm PDT, Mar 26, Cristina Seica, Portugal

# 177:

4:36 pm PDT, Mar 26, Erika Stone, Virginia

# 176:

4:31 pm PDT, Mar 26, Brandy Ramos, Texas

# 175:

4:16 pm PDT, Mar 26, Majda Rusman, Bosnia And Herzegovina

# 174:

3:25 pm PDT, Mar 26, Georgeanne Wilcox, Indiana

# 173:

3:20 pm PDT, Mar 26, Baby Angel, New Jersey
Children are the future and best to shape and encourage and love them. Continued support for children to prevent abuse before it starts and counsel programs for the abusee along with the innocent children who have been abused thru no fault of their own. Congress makes an effort in the faith to realize that they were children once also and that the children deserve a chance to grow with good examples, structure and financial support along with a future to contribute into society and be well-adjusted. Also encourage programs such as biblical education, protection programs, guidance counseling along with a supportive team effort. Please save the children and the future.

# 172:

3:12 pm PDT, Mar 26, Rachael Patrick, Virginia
this is horrific. the mistreatment of innocent children, even in the great US of A, HAS TO END.

# 171:

2:56 pm PDT, Mar 26, Emiliano Galluccio, Italy

# 170:

2:52 pm PDT, Mar 26, Em Doe, Massachusetts

# 169:

2:50 pm PDT, Mar 26, Julia Stahler, Pennsylvania

# 168:

2:05 pm PDT, Mar 26, Kathleen A.H., Arizona

# 167:

1:55 pm PDT, Mar 26, Gail Costic, Pennsylvania

# 166:

1:45 pm PDT, Mar 26, Carolyn Tonahill, Louisiana
It is crucial that this Act be reauthorized and that even more money go to the program. Not only is it humane, but these children are the future. They are important in and of themselves...and because they have within them the potential to contribute to the world. Some will even be able to make it a better place on a grand scale. This is the right thing to do absolutely! Do not eliminate or cut funds to this--take it from other things that are killing and maiming children. This is what matters.

# 165:

1:33 pm PDT, Mar 26, Marla De Vries, Netherlands

# 164:

1:27 pm PDT, Mar 26, Robin Graysmith, Florida

# 163:

1:24 pm PDT, Mar 26, Name not displayed, Maryland
As a Court Appointed Advocate in Washington, DC, I wholeheartedly support the protection of the most vulnerable of our communities.

# 162:

1:21 pm PDT, Mar 26, Bergstromjoy@ms Bergstrom, North Carolina

# 161:

1:16 pm PDT, Mar 26, Dianne Duncan, Colorado
I have two adopterd daughters who were abused and neglected beyond belief. Please help to protect others--they were let down and thus unprotected for so many years. It will take them a lifetime to recover.

# 160:

1:03 pm PDT, Mar 26, June Marshall, New Hampshire

# 159:

1:02 pm PDT, Mar 26, Arlette Scharer, Switzerland

# 158:

12:57 pm PDT, Mar 26, Jaylena Greenfield, Ohio

# 157:

12:45 pm PDT, Mar 26, Crystal Jack, Florida

# 156:

12:36 pm PDT, Mar 26, Terrah Dawn, Mississippi

# 155:

12:34 pm PDT, Mar 26, Reverend Pennie Mumm CD MS, Washington
Children are our future as well as our responsibility--what kind of world do YOU want?

# 154:

12:29 pm PDT, Mar 26, JOCELYNE ANNIE, Canada

# 153:

12:12 pm PDT, Mar 26, Jon Marshall Jr, Alabama

# 152:

11:58 am PDT, Mar 26, Patrick Ronan, Ireland

# 151:

11:56 am PDT, Mar 26, Chris And Dani Stanton, Alabama

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