[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9895-9896]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, today I rise to talk about Child Abuse 
Prevention Month. Child Abuse Prevention Month was established 20 years 
ago by Presidential proclamation and since then, this month has been 
devoted to raising awareness about this tragic problem.
  This year holds particular sadness for those of us from New Jersey. 
This past

[[Page 9896]]

January, 7-year-old Faheem Williams was found dead in a Newark, NJ, 
basement where he and his two brothers had been imprisoned for weeks. 
He had been starved and beaten. With Faheem were his twin, Raheem, and 
4-year-old brother Tyrone, both of whom were found to be malnourished 
and dehydrated. All of this occurred under the supervision of the State 
agency that placed these three boys in foster care.
  His death marks a tragic failure on the part of our State and 
country, as do the deaths of thousands of children each year. Mr. 
President, I was at Faheem's funeral. That day I said that it didn't 
matter whether his death was due to neglect or direct abuse. We cannot 
permit another child to go through this ever again.
  Across the country last year, 879,000 children were victims of child 
abuse and neglect, of whom approximately 1,200 died from maltreatment. 
According to the national organization, Prevent Child Abuse America, 
three children die every day from abuse or neglect at the hands of 
those who are supposed to care for them. I don't need to say that one 
is too many. Most disturbingly, confirmed reports of child abuse and 
neglect rose 3 percent in the last year nationwide. This is the second 
straight year child abuse has increased.
  There is no doubt that child abuse and neglect continues to be a 
significant problem in the United States. Our children are our future, 
but their health and safety in our society continues to decline. Every 
one of us has a responsibility to work for the welfare of the Nation's 
children.
  The Department of Health and Human Services runs a National 
Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, providing 
research and resources for prevention to individuals and communities. 
Many nonprofit organizations, State agencies, individual social 
workers, counselors, teachers, and clergy work tirelessly to determine 
when children are in danger. We need to support the individuals and 
groups who advocate for abused children, and the foster families who 
care for them.
  Faheem Williams paid a terrible price for his little life and we must 
honor his memory and the memories of other victims of abuse by 
educating the country about the risks and signs of abuse and providing 
the resources available to stop it.

                          ____________________