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"Although we can be encouraged that the number of children who suffer abuse and neglect continues to decline, these numbers are still unacceptably high," said Secretary Shalala. "The Clinton administration is firmly committed not only to preventing child abuse and neglect before it occurs, but also to providing safe, permanent and loving homes for children who have been harmed. We must not tolerate this daily human tragedy in our children's lives."

Based on data reported by states, HHS estimates that child protective service agencies received about 2,806,000 referrals of possible maltreatment in 1998. Of the 66 percent of those referrals investigated, states found that there were an estimated 903,000 children who were victims of abuse and/or neglect. In a trend which began five years ago, the number of children abused and neglected has decreased approximately 11 percent from a record 1,018,692 in 1993. Parents continue to be the main perpetrators of child maltreatment. More than 80 percent of all victims were maltreated by one or both parents. The most common pattern of maltreatment (45 percent) was a child victimized by a female parent with no other perpetrators. Victims of physical and sexual abuse, compared to victims of neglect and medical neglect, were more likely to be maltreated by a male parent acting alone.

More than half of all victims (54 percent) suffered neglect, while almost a quarter (23 percent) suffered physical abuse. Nearly 12 percent of the victims were sexually abused. The number of child fatalities caused by maltreatment remained unchanged at about 1,100.

"Child maltreatment has a devastating effect on its victims, their families, and the community as a whole," said Olivia A. Golden, HHS assistant secretary for children and families. "But with the landmark Adoption and Safe Families Act as well as community-based child abuse prevention programs, there is more hope than ever for a stronger web of protection for children."

The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, based on President Clinton's Adoption 2002 proposal, made the most sweeping changes in the child welfare program since it was established. Recent regulations implement several of the law's requirements regarding states' efforts to achieve safety and permanency for children. First, the regulation clarifies that states have broad flexibility to define circumstances in which "reasonable efforts" are not required to preserve or reunify a child with the birth family because of safety concerns. Second, for children in foster care, states must obtain a court order at least every 12 months showing that the state made reasonable efforts to develop a permanent plan for reunification or legal guardianship or adoption. Third, the regulation provides guidance for states on filing petitions for termination of parental rights for certain children in foster care and makes clear that no groups of children may be exempt from the requirement. Under the law, states must begin termination of parental rights proceedings for a child who has been in foster care 15 months of the previous 22 months. Finally, the rule requires states to conduct criminal record checks for prospective foster or adoptive parents, or otherwise document the safety of a child's placement.

The Department will be distributing several thousand packets of prevention information to states and local child welfare agencies and community organizations during Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month. This information is also available at www.acf.dhhs.gov. Materials can be obtained by web site of the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information at www.calib.com/nccanch/prevmnth/index.htm or by calling 1-800-FYI-3366.

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