Anchorage Daily News

One in 50 infants was abused or neglected in the United States from October 2005 to September 2006. One in 50. Every year, close to 1 million children are confirmed victims of child maltreatment.

In Alaska, for the period Oct. 2006 through Sept. 2007, 12 percent (356) of the 2,843 children substantiated as victims of abuse or neglect by the Office of Children's Services were under age 1 at the time the allegation was reported.

If those statistics aren't shocking enough, there are real costs to also consider. A conservative estimate recently placed the annual cost of reacting to child abuse in the United States at $103.8 billion.

One of the most alarming facts is the high rate of abuse and neglect to young children unable to speak out. Child Protective Services can react only to abuse that is reported to our agency. When the maltreatment isn't readily apparent, keeping children safe by preventing further harm can be a very difficult task.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a month dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect so families never have to come to the attention of child protective services. Children who grow up in their own loving, nurturing and stable homes are more likely to be healthy and well-adjusted adults. In order to reduce the rates of maltreatment, we need to put more effort and money into preventing it in the first place.

Several agencies and initiatives are working to do just that. The Office of Children's Services is working with others to improve the health of Alaska's children by increasing the availability of developmental screenings for children age 3 and younger. We are also engaged in the "Strengthening Families Initiative" in which several child care centers, Head Start programs and other similar settings are participating to enhance parenting skills -- including obtaining resources, coping strategies and support systems -- to improve the health and well-being of children and their families.

The Alaska's Children's Trust recently convened a steering committee to bring together experts in the field of prevention to develop a statewide plan to reduce the rates of child abuse and neglect. By blending together several different agencies that work with children and their families we can lead the charge to make a difference.

While I have worked for 24 years responding to children who have been maltreated, I am convinced that if we are to affect the high rates of child abuse and neglect in Alaska, we must first start with prevention.

We must identify and implement strategies that enable parents to better care for their children, provide them with healthy starts and prepare them for school. We must reach out to parents who may be struggling to connect them to resources to meet their basic needs, to provide them social connections and provide positive alternatives to handle their stress in ways that aren't neglectful or abusive.

We must build attributes that will help parents protect their children so that fewer of them come to the attention of child protective services and are then separated from their families. Together we can reduce child abuse and neglect in Alaska.

Tammy Sandoval is director of the Office of Children's Services, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.

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