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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

21,093
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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!

# 300:

6:29 am PDT, Mar 27, Angela Lacy, Kentucky

# 299:

6:29 am PDT, Mar 27, LaDonna Chase, Oklahoma

# 298:

6:29 am PDT, Mar 27, Cara G. Rosson, Illinois

# 297:

6:28 am PDT, Mar 27, M. DeBacker, Oregon

# 296:

6:28 am PDT, Mar 27, Marilyn Burke, Georgia

# 295:

6:28 am PDT, Mar 27, Phyllis Garr, New Jersey

# 294:

6:28 am PDT, Mar 27, Name not displayed, Maryland
I can't understand why anyone wouldn't want to protect a child.

# 293:

6:28 am PDT, Mar 27, Flo Jenkins, Virginia

# 292:

6:28 am PDT, Mar 27, Eric Talbert, New York

# 291:

6:27 am PDT, Mar 27, Sandra Schonder, Florida

# 290:

6:27 am PDT, Mar 27, Janet K. Holstine, Michigan

# 289:

6:27 am PDT, Mar 27, Kathy Lynn Johnson, West Virginia
NO excuse for abuse!!!!! EVER!

# 288:

6:27 am PDT, Mar 27, VICKIE H. HORTON, Georgia
Consider others as you consider your own children. All children are special and should be protected.

# 287:

6:26 am PDT, Mar 27, Shaine E, Colorado

# 286:

6:26 am PDT, Mar 27, Jamie Whitehead, Pennsylvania
I feel the Child Welfare in this Country sucks! You read so many cases where reports are not followed up on. We should be the DEFENSE for these abused children!

# 285:

6:25 am PDT, Mar 27, Name not displayed, Virginia

# 284:

6:25 am PDT, Mar 27, Kelly Clairmont, North Carolina

# 283:

6:25 am PDT, Mar 27, Doris Munger, Connecticut

# 282:

6:25 am PDT, Mar 27, N. Rochler, New York

# 281:

6:24 am PDT, Mar 27, Name not displayed, Vermont

# 280:

6:23 am PDT, Mar 27, Name not displayed, New York

# 279:

6:23 am PDT, Mar 27, Bethany Bulgrin-Tschan, Wisconsin

# 278:

6:13 am PDT, Mar 27, Terry L. west, West Virginia

# 277:

5:54 am PDT, Mar 27, Margaret Baylor, Florida

# 276:

5:54 am PDT, Mar 27, BEVERLY BRYANT, Mississippi

# 275:

5:53 am PDT, Mar 27, Joycey Berry, North Carolina
Children need protection from abuse. They need to grow up safe and happy.

# 274:

5:50 am PDT, Mar 27, ROBIN MCKAY, Kentucky
I know this factually kids need to be given a chance and helped when they need it. Abuse is something they never out grow

# 273:

5:40 am PDT, Mar 27, Brian Guadagno, New Jersey

# 272:

5:36 am PDT, Mar 27, Carol Loar, California

# 271:

5:24 am PDT, Mar 27, Penniless Fairy, Ireland

# 270:

5:13 am PDT, Mar 27, Krystyna Postawa, Poland

# 269:

5:02 am PDT, Mar 27, Richard Harris, Florida
Children deserve the best protection possible as they as the future of our world and are at the mercy of those in possession of them (i.e. parents, DCF, etc.). Let us not forget the hope and help we were given regardless of the struggles many of us faced as children. Instead, let us use those experiences to better understand the needs of the children in our world. If we must have war, let us have a battle to end hunger and poverty for our children's sake.

# 268:

4:56 am PDT, Mar 27, Pam Ferris, Michigan

# 267:

4:50 am PDT, Mar 27, Patti Ross, New Jersey

# 266:

4:50 am PDT, Mar 27, Name not displayed, Thailand

# 265:

4:42 am PDT, Mar 27, Regina Marino, Connecticut

# 264:

4:41 am PDT, Mar 27, Runningfox Moss, North Carolina

# 263:

4:15 am PDT, Mar 27, Phil Heinlein, New York

# 262:

3:49 am PDT, Mar 27, Sheila Gredzinski, Pennsylvania

# 261:

3:45 am PDT, Mar 27, Karen Stillwell, Tennessee

# 260:

3:44 am PDT, Mar 27, Jocelyn Koopmann, Australia

# 259:

3:33 am PDT, Mar 27, Sven Beuckelaers, Belgium

# 258:

3:28 am PDT, Mar 27, Shannon Sultan, Wisconsin

# 257:

3:20 am PDT, Mar 27, Ange Barrett, United Kingdom

# 256:

3:07 am PDT, Mar 27, Jos� Mar�a Olmos Santana, Spain
Today are childrens but tomorrow will be the ones who vote in the elections so What political party do you thin they will choose for they vote?

# 255:

2:59 am PDT, Mar 27, Can Atik, Turkey

# 254:

2:49 am PDT, Mar 27, Ana Marina Santos, Portugal
Children are the future, they take us as an example.

# 253:

2:45 am PDT, Mar 27, Ann Tuton, Texas

# 252:

2:23 am PDT, Mar 27, Pam Fioretti, Australia

# 251:

1:57 am PDT, Mar 27, Irma Paulme, Philippines

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