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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

21,041
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!

# 250:

1:37 am PDT, Mar 27, Gase Hady, Cyprus

# 249:

1:12 am PDT, Mar 27, Hans Lak, Netherlands

# 248:

1:11 am PDT, Mar 27, Pam Stacy, Arkansas

# 247:

1:03 am PDT, Mar 27, Name not displayed, Austria

# 246:

12:50 am PDT, Mar 27, Dream Catcher, Netherlands

# 245:

12:31 am PDT, Mar 27, Lucien Pan Morningstar, Colorado

# 244:

12:25 am PDT, Mar 27, Isabella Hillmayr, Greece

# 243:

12:21 am PDT, Mar 27, Diana Dellamarie, California

# 242:

11:47 pm PDT, Mar 26, Mark Foote, Washington

# 241:

11:23 pm PDT, Mar 26, Rachel M M Hervey PHN, California
In 1974 I worked as a school nurse and I can assure you that there were animals disguised as humans out there, possibly as a result of, sickness, mental illness, drugs and or just "a don't care attitude". Yes, the President should make all the needed funds available for the safety of children in their own homes. We have plenty of money "for war" over seas for protection so if we can protect ourselves there at a distance we should, certainly, be able to protect our children from harms way here in their own home.

# 240:

10:53 pm PDT, Mar 26, ANNA ZISIMATOU, Greece

# 239:

10:32 pm PDT, Mar 26, Darlene Davis, Michigan

# 238:

10:24 pm PDT, Mar 26, Mary Zoglio, Florida

# 237:

10:10 pm PDT, Mar 26, Name not displayed, North Carolina
Do what is right for the children.Even increase the money to make sure children have safe and healthy homes. Thank you!

# 236:

10:10 pm PDT, Mar 26, Zehra Khan, Massachusetts

# 235:

10:10 pm PDT, Mar 26, Victoria Thomas, Wyoming

# 234:

9:38 pm PDT, Mar 26, Hampton Bolen, South Carolina

# 233:

9:20 pm PDT, Mar 26, Michael W, South Africa

# 232:

9:12 pm PDT, Mar 26, Jim Phillips, California
All Children deserve a healthy and safe environment. Please continue funding for these special programs. Thank you.

# 231:

9:09 pm PDT, Mar 26, Laura Stringer, Maryland

# 230:

9:01 pm PDT, Mar 26, Greg Phillips, New York

# 229:

8:59 pm PDT, Mar 26, Tracy Brown, New Jersey

# 228:

8:56 pm PDT, Mar 26, Bea Brinkley, Australia
It stand to reason, a healthy environment ensures happy and healthy children.

# 227:

8:47 pm PDT, Mar 26, Cute TaoGirl, Malaysia
Work on the education, especially for the adults. Morality is declining badly amongst the adults. That's why so many terrible problems in US.

# 226:

8:43 pm PDT, Mar 26, Christine Pearson, Arizona

# 225:

8:32 pm PDT, Mar 26, Sandra Weston, Tennessee

# 224:

8:32 pm PDT, Mar 26, Eliz Konrad, New York

# 223:

8:27 pm PDT, Mar 26, Maha Said-Shariff, California

# 222:

8:20 pm PDT, Mar 26, Emma Gail, Australia

# 221:

8:12 pm PDT, Mar 26, J. R. S., California

# 220:

7:59 pm PDT, Mar 26, Kara Jergens, Ohio

# 219:

7:51 pm PDT, Mar 26, Nicole Kouma, Nebraska

# 218:

7:45 pm PDT, Mar 26, Sherry P, Ohio

# 217:

7:43 pm PDT, Mar 26, Phyllis Pleasants, Virginia

# 216:

7:39 pm PDT, Mar 26, Gran Pat, Texas

# 215:

7:35 pm PDT, Mar 26, Art Deco, Maine

# 214:

7:24 pm PDT, Mar 26, Penelope Phillips, Australia

# 213:

7:21 pm PDT, Mar 26, Suzie Gordon, New Hampshire

# 212:

7:20 pm PDT, Mar 26, Michael Sandstrom, Tennessee

# 211:

7:19 pm PDT, Mar 26, Elisa Minakis, Canada

# 210:

7:18 pm PDT, Mar 26, Name not displayed, Wisconsin

# 209:

7:14 pm PDT, Mar 26, Brad Miller, Kansas

# 208:

7:10 pm PDT, Mar 26, John Bazluke, Florida

# 207:

6:56 pm PDT, Mar 26, Jennifer Beeman, Washington
This issue needs not only more money but also different methods to prevent the abuse of children.

# 206:

6:53 pm PDT, Mar 26, Paige Smith, Connecticut

# 205:

6:45 pm PDT, Mar 26, Jenny Vegan, United States Minor Outlying Islands
Child abuse is a dreadful "pay-forward" tragedy. Unless the cycle is stopped, it will continue for generations. Please do all you can to prevent child abuse and exploitation.

# 204:

6:45 pm PDT, Mar 26, Audrey Ellis, Texas

# 203:

6:29 pm PDT, Mar 26, FreeSpirit Running, Florida

# 202:

6:28 pm PDT, Mar 26, Linda Fratello, Indiana
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

# 201:

6:22 pm PDT, Mar 26, Amber Kelsey, Texas

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