[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 166 (Friday, December 21, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8364-S8365]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BAUCUS (for himself, Mr. Kerry, Ms. Collins, Mr. Cardin, 
        Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Snowe, and Mr. Conrad):
  S. 3705. A bill to establish a commission to develop a national 
strategy and recommendations for reducing fatalities resulting from 
child abuse and neglect; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, Nelson Mandela, the former president of 
South Africa, once said ``Safety and security don't just happen; they 
are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe 
our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free 
of violence and fear.''
  Today, I echo that call to protect our most vulnerable citizens as I 
join Senators Kerry, Collins, Cardin, Shaheen, Snowe, and Conrad to 
introduce the Protect Our Kids Act.
  This important legislation establishes a special task force dedicated 
to reducing child abuse and neglect in America. Comprised of our 
Nation's top child welfare administrators and researchers, law 
enforcement officers, and other dedicated experts, this task force 
would study and evaluate federal, state, and private child welfare 
systems and develop a comprehensive national strategy to prevent and 
reduce these tragic acts of violence.
  Since 2002, more than 15,000 children have died due to abuse and 
neglect. This number is based on state-reported Child Protection 
Services data. But advocates predict the true number is far greater.
  We don't have clear facts because currently, there is no national 
standard for collecting data on these young victims. Many state child 
protection agencies do not share vital data and statistics with other 
agencies, officials, or law enforcement.
  Clearly, more must be done to better protect our Nation's children. 
More must be done to protect them from the fear and terror of abuse, 
especially when the threat to their safety often comes from those that 
should cherish them the most.
  We need to bring this issue out of the shadows. It starts by learning 
more about the tragic deaths of these children, so that we can prevent 
the senseless murders from happening again. That is what this task 
force will do. They will study the issue and develop a national 
strategy and recommendations for improvements throughout the child 
welfare system.
  According to Child Protection Services data, in Montana we reported 
zero fatalities from child abuse and neglect

[[Page S8365]]

last year. While that of course sounds like good news, the story is 
more complicated. We have heard of at least three child deaths related 
to abuse or neglect. Some abuse is going unreported. And there are 
clear gaps in data between the agencies and in the reporting. So I am 
urging my state to elevate the standards of protective services even 
higher.
  Child Protection Services needs to coordinate with other agencies. 
They need to share data so we can have a clear picture of the full 
scope of the problem. Everyone needs to work together to make sure that 
all Montana kids are safe.
  Our Nation must tackle this issue head on. We must embrace our 
responsibility to protect our children. We need to provide them with 
safe, nurturing environments and the support they need to thrive and 
succeed in our society.
  We need to make sure that kids have access to physical and mental 
health services, so they can grow into happy, productive adults. We 
need to help children with mental illnesses by reducing the stigma 
surrounding mental health services and ensuring that these young people 
know there is a strong support network backing them up.
  We should look at programs like home visits, which currently provide 
professional assistance, right at home, for more than 50,000 families 
across our Nation, and see how they can be improved to do an even 
better job supporting vulnerable families.
  We are blessed to live in the richest, most powerful country in the 
world. We have to use every resource at our disposal to strengthen our 
laws to ensure that all children are given a chance to succeed in life.
  This bipartisan legislation we are introducing today is a step in the 
right direction to protect our kids.
  I commend my colleagues Senators Kerry and Collins for their years of 
tireless work, fighting for the rights of our children. The House of 
Representatives has already acted on this legislation. Let us now join 
together and create a life free of violence and fear for our most 
vulnerable citizens.
  Let us pass the Protect Our Kids Act.
                                 ______