[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4525]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 END CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT FATALITIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, I would like to spend a few minutes this 
morning discussing the recent report of the Commission to End Child 
Abuse and Neglect Fatalities. Chartered by Congress under the Protect 
our Kids Act of 2013, the Commission's goal is to provide a framework 
for ending child maltreatment fatalities in the United States. For 2 
years they have studied and examined this problem, and now we have the 
results.
  The death of any child is a tragedy. While the data on child deaths 
related to abuse and neglect is incomplete, the Commission estimates 
that there were over 1,500 such cases in 2014. The majority of the 
children in these heartbreaking cases were younger than a year old, and 
many of them only days and weeks into their young lives. Three-quarters 
of the deaths occurred in children under age 3.
  Madam Speaker, these are shocking figures, but we are talking about 
much more than just numbers. These stories of lives cut short, of 
senseless deaths, are a rallying cry for action, and no community or 
State is immune. In my home State of Rhode Island, at least four 
children have died in State care since October, two of them infants.
  In neighboring Massachusetts, Bella Bond's story is a heartbreaking 
reminder of our moral obligation to act in defense of all children. 
Bella only ever knew abuse and neglect. She died before her third 
birthday, allegedly beaten to death by her drug-addicted parents. 
Despite two neglect complaints against Bella's mother, there was never 
any recognition that this toddler's life was in danger. The State never 
sent anybody to check on her safety, and her death remained hidden 
until her body was discovered.
  The problems in the Bella Bond murder, though, sadly, are not unique. 
The Commission's report highlights a lack of communication between 
State child welfare agencies and law enforcement in every State. Noting 
the high correlation between domestic violence and child deaths, the 
Commission recommends that States treat this as a broad public health 
issue and call for better coordination between child welfare agencies 
and law enforcement.
  Cross-agency collaboration will allow social workers to use law 
enforcement data to find the most at-risk children and intervene when 
necessary to protect the child. Just as we would take action to stop 
disease before it kills the patient, we can and we must intervene when 
a child's life is at risk.
  However, the Commission also notes that the most successful 
interventions are the ones that prevent a crisis from happening in the 
first place. Not all of these interventions involve foster care or 
removing a child. Early intervention of the most at-risk families will 
allow social workers to tailor and deliver the most effective 
interventions for each family, and even sometimes small interventions 
early on can make the biggest difference. The report makes clear that 
crisis breeds crisis. It is the self-perpetuating, repetitive cycle.
  Parents suffering from mental health issues or drug addiction are 
much more likely to harm or kill their child. The stresses of 
unemployment and poverty are also linked with child abuse, neglect, and 
death.
  Madam Speaker, States need to engage in an all-of-the-above approach 
to child safety. We must also ensure that funding is in place to allow 
for meaningful interventions. Child welfare agencies need to be held 
accountable for results, and empowered to deliver services and 
interventions to at-risk children and families when they are required.
  Despite these challenges, I would like to close on a hopeful note, 
embodied in the title of the report itself: Within Our Reach.
  Madam Speaker, we can put a stop to these tragic deaths. Law 
enforcement, child welfare, and community groups have to work together 
to provide a network of support and intervention for families and 
children at risk of abuse. We in Congress have to fully fund these 
agencies and empower them to deliver meaningful change.
  Madam Speaker, the time to act is now.

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