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the citizens' information source on children's issues June 2002 Newsletter IN
THIS ISSUE:
Multidisciplinary
Assessment: The Core of Effective Practice [Part 1: An Introduction]
All cases of abuse and neglect can benefit from a multidisciplinary team approach to medical diagnosis, assessment, investigation, and treatment. Studies show that in the most serious cases, sound clinical and prosecutorial outcomes are optimized when they are the result of comprehensive, up-front assessments of child victims, joint investigations, quality forensic interviewing techniques, and limitations in the number of child witness interviews. Multidisciplinary teams are convened to assess a variety of issues including: medical evaluation, the extent of trauma inflicted on the child, the child's overall diagnostic and treatment needs, the indications for prosecution, the non-offending parent's position, and whether the offender is acknowledging or minimizing the abusive behavior. There is a growing consensus that the implications of placement decisions are so critical to the child that no one individual should have absolute discretion in this area. Teams can pool the collective wisdom and experience of their members and make sound judgments about contacts between offending parents and their children. In court-involved cases, the use of teams provides greater likelihood that the abused child will have input into decisions concerning his or her needs. For example, one jurisdiction uses a written questionnaire to assist in determining parent offender/child victim contact after sexual abuse has been disclosed. It asks simply, "Are the child's needs being put forth first?" This child-centered approach ensures that children's needs are considered over potentially competing agency agendas or individual ideologies. (Vermont District of Social Services (2000). "Visitation and/or Contact Protocols." O.U.R. House of Central Vermont, Inc. Barre, Vermont ) Generically, Multidisciplinary Child Protection Teams (CPTs) are comprised of professionals from the medical, mental health, child welfare, and legal disciplines. The Teams are convened to evaluate the child's condition and safety and to implement a service plan to address the needs of the child and family. A typical Team assessment includes a physical, psychosocial, and developmental evaluation of the child, as well as an assessment of the family's ability to function and provide a safe environment. The Team's first priority is to ensure the safety of the child. This could mean a recommendation to remove the child from the family or to provide a range of family services so that the child may remain safely at home. Trained legal professionals on the team determine if a crime has been committed, and identify appropriate legal remedies available to protect the child from further harm. The potential
benefits of Multidisciplinary Child Protection Teams are numerous.
They not only improve the quality of assessments, treatment
plans, and services for abused and neglected children; parents,
families, communities, and the child welfare system benefit
as well. Research shows that multidisciplinary CPTs: In addition, a study conducted by the California Attorney General's Office concluded that the quality assessments provided through the multidisciplinary approach expedite the legal process by decreasing the number of child interviews while increasing the findings of evidence of abuse.( California Attorney General's Office (July, 1994). "Child victim witness investigative pilot projects: Research and evaluation final report." Sacramento, California.) Quality assessments, therefore, improve the probability of a successful prosecution in cases of sexual and serious physical abuse. Teams have a number of potential benefits for communities as well. These include: promoting community awareness and action with respect to abuse and neglect; increasing an understanding of community strengths and weaknesses; and developing additional services and resources at the local and state levels. Assessments can be best provided by permanent, community-based multidisciplinary teams that function under a statewide system that is itself based on consistent principles of practice and accountability. *** FOR MORE INFORMATION about protecting our children, MCC’s recommendations for change, and source reference notes for the above spotlighted section, please see “A State Call To Action: Working to End Child Abuse and Neglect in Massachusetts,” Section III: Protecting Our Children [http://www.masskids.org/cta/cta_iii.html] The complete report is available online at http://www.masskids.org/cta/
KIDS
COUNT 2002 Data Book Released Massachusetts ranks 6th among all states in a new state-by-state study that reports on the well-being of America's children. The 2002 KIDS COUNT Data Book shows that Massachusetts improved on seven of 10 measures that reflect child well-being in the 1990s, but experienced setbacks in the categories of low-birthweight babies and single-parent families. One other indicator, its child poverty rate, remained unchanged. Massachusetts Child Well-Being Facts at a Glance:
Many kids growing up in low-income
working families face uncertain futures Massachusetts
has fewer high school dropouts at the end of the 1990s. Rate
of teen deaths by accident, homicide, or suicide falls more
than 40 percent. Child
death rate in Massachusetts declines dramatically during
the 1990s. No
improvement in child poverty during the decade. Massachusetts
fourth graders outperform the rest of country on math NAEP
test. FOR MORE
INFORMATION on child well-being in Massachusetts and the
2002 KIDS COUNT Data Report, please visit the Massachusetts
pages of the KIDS COUNT 2002 Data Report Online: Or, please visit the KIDS COUNT section of Massachusetts Citizens for Children's (MCC's) web site, www.masskids.org. MCC is the site of Massachusetts KIDS COUNT.
Responding
to the Crisis in the Catholic Church
-----------------------------------------------------------
PCA America Responds to Catholic Bishops' Proposed Sexual Abuse Policy Prevent Child Abuse America recently passed a resolution that urges the U.S. Catholic Church as well as other religious institutions to assume oversight, responsibility, and accountability for assuring the safety and protection of children within their institutions from clergy suspected of sexual abuse. Therefore, PCA America has resolved that no state should exempt clergy from laws that mandate the reporting of suspected child abuse except in the case of clergy/penitent relationship and then only when allowed by state law. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)-the church's national voice on social and religious issues-plans to discuss the reports of alleged abuse by members of the Catholic clergy during its meeting on June 13-15 in Dallas. On June 4, USCCB released a proposed policy on sexual abuse for its Dallas meeting. This proposal called for, among other things, mandatory reporting of suspected abuse to civil authorities and the implementation of "safe environment" prevention programs. Both components were applauded in a statement from PCA America released to the media. The USCCB also plans to spell out policies on sexual abuse that would bring more uniformity to how the church's 194 dioceses handle this issue. In anticipation, PCA America has written a letter to USCCB's President, Bishop Wilton Gregory urging the conference to adopt a nationwide policy of voluntarily reporting all suspected abuse to the appropriate authorities, with the exception of the clergy/penitent communication when allowed by state law. In addition, PCA America offered to help organize a colloquium of experts in sexual abuse and Catholic leaders in order to determine best practices in prevention programs and propose appropriate sexual abuse prevention curricula for the Catholic Church. This offer comes with the knowledge that many dioceses have already enacted prevention policies and programs in response to recommendations issued by the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse in 1993-94. As reported in a statement made by Bishop Gregory, himself, on February 16, the full implementation of these programs has not yet been achieved. Thus a prospective colloquium would be established to achieve the following:
This offer follows our long history of providing assistance to organizations facing sexual abuse crises, including the Boy Scouts of America in 1993, and the National Summit on Child Protection in Youth Sports in 1995. Both efforts led to the development and nationwide implementation of new protocols and resources for child abuse prevention programs. The bishops' full proposal can be found here on the USCCB web site at http://www.nccbuscc.org/. PCA America's full statement, and a summary of the Draft Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People is available on MCC's web site: http://www.masskids.org/pcama/prevention/sexabuse _2_catholicchurch.html Massachusetts Citizens for Children (MCC) is the Massachusetts chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. -----------------------------------------------------------
MCC Urges the Archdiocese of Boston to Adopt Procedural Changes to Protect Children In a recent letter to the Cardinal's Commission on Child Protection, the MCC Board of Directors urged the Archdiocese of Boston to adopt several changes to its policies that would strengthen the protection of children. The letter cites the successful measures implemented by the Archdiocese of Dallas after suffering a similar crisis 1990's. The Archdiocese of Dallas instituted procedures that successfully improved child protection, and that protect clergy from false accusations. The following recommendations were strongly urged by the MCC Board:
"As advocates, our intent in these recommendations is to assist the Archdiocese of Boston in preventing any further victimization of children," the MCC Board states. "There is no greater responsibility than preserving the health and well-being of our children." MCC's "Open Letter to the Cardinal's Commission on Child Protection" is available for viewing on MCC's web site. To view, please follow this link: http://www.masskids.org/pcama/prevention/sexabuse_2_catholicchurch3.html
For
Low-Income Working Families, Success Requires More Than Just
A Job "The robust economy and the welfare reforms of the 1990s significantly helped to increase the number of working parents in low-income families and to lower the child poverty rate," said Douglas W. Nelson, president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which publishes the annual analysis of child well-being in America. "But the truth is, many low-income working parents still find it awfully tough - and sometimes impossible - to meet their kids' needs. "At the same time," Nelson adds, "the general success of welfare reform provides a strong platform for building a support system that can help low-income working parents achieve economic security." Helping Workers Succeed as Parents In the 2002 KIDS COUNT Data Book's essay entitled "Balancing the Equation: Making Economic and Family Success Possible for Low-Income Working Families," Nelson argues for a range of supports, including job training, tax credits, savings plans, asset-building strategies, child care assistance, and health insurance, that together can help hard-working low-income families become stronger. "We need to build on the record of the past decade by putting in place effective policies and opportunities that both help low-income parents succeed as workers and help low-income workers succeed as parents," he notes. The new report, which features 10 measures of child well-being and supplemental data on education, health, and economic conditions of families, defines "low income" as 150 percent of the federal poverty level ($26,195 for a family of four in 2000). Overall, the "Data Book" shows significant progress in the well-being of American children in the 1990s. Of the 10 measures used to rank states, seven improved, two deteriorated, and one did not change. However, a closer look at individual states reveals wide disparities, particularly among rates for child deaths, teen deaths, and births to teens. In these three instances, the worst performing states had a rate more than three times that of the best performing states. Among other findings:
On two of the 10 measures -- the percent of low-birthweight babies and the percent of families with children headed by a single parent -- nearly all states fared slightly worse in 1999 than they did in 1990. One measure - the percent of teens aged 16 to 19 who are high school dropouts - ended the decade with no significant change compared with 1990. The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a Baltimore-based private charitable organization dedicated to helping build better futures for disadvantaged children and families in the United States. In addition to the national KIDS COUNT Data Book, the Casey Foundation also supports a network of state-level KIDS COUNT projects that provide more detailed community-by-community data on the condition of children. FOR MORE
INFORMATION on the 2002 KIDS COUNT Data Report, please visit
the KIDS COUNT 2002 Data Report Online: Or, please visit the KIDS COUNT section of Massachusetts Citizens for Children's (MCC's) web site, www.masskids.org. MCC is the site of Massachusetts KIDS COUNT.
Year
2000 Child Abuse and Neglect Findings Reports of maltreatment were 12.2 per thousand children in 2000, the second-lowest level in the past decade. The lowest point, measured in 1999, was 11.8 per thousand. Abuse and neglect reports had reached a high of 15.3 per thousand in 1993 and 15.2 per thousand in 1994. Although the recent reported levels are lower compared to the peak years, HHS Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Wade F. Horn said the number of maltreated children in America "remains unacceptably high and stands as an affront and a challenge to all of us." "Behind these statistics are real children who are suffering real physical and emotional pain," he said. "We are working hard to reduce these numbers, and we must rededicate ourselves to successful prevention efforts. We're pleased that child abuse is down significantly in the past decade, but we must continue to strive to eliminate the mistreatment of children from our society." The Bush administration has proposed a 35 percent increase in funding for fiscal year 2003 to address the needs of maltreated and other at-risk children. The year 2000 data were announced in conjunction with Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month, observed each April. Based on data collected through the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), the HHS agency estimates that child protective service agencies received about three million referrals of possible maltreatment in 2000. Of these, approximately 879,000 cases were substantiated after investigation. Almost two-thirds (62 percent) suffered neglect; 19 percent were physically abused; 10 percent were sexually abused and 8 percent were psychologically maltreated. The rate of child victims per 1,000 children in the population has been decreasing steadily since 1993 when there were 15.3 victims per 1,000 children. It is not possible to tell whether this year's slight increase indicates a trend until more data are collected. Consistent with previous years, 84 percent of victims were abused by a parent or parents. Mothers acting alone were responsible for 47 percent of the neglect and 32 percent of the physical abuse. Nonrelatives, fathers acting alone, and other relatives were responsible for 29 percent, 22 percent and 19 percent, respectively, of the sexual abuse. Approximately 1,200 children died of abuse or neglect, a rate of 1.71 children per 100,000 children in the population. The increase (from 1,100 in 1999) is thought to be attributable to improved reporting. According to the Administration for Children and Families, the Bush Administration has requested an additional $130 million in FY 2003, for a total of $505 million, for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program, which addresses the needs of maltreated and other at-risk children. This program provides funds to states to run a coordinated program of family preservation services, community-based family support services, reunification services and adoption promotion and support services. The additional funding will expand states' capacities to strengthen families and ensure safe, permanent placements for vulnerable children. Year-by-year maltreatment rates since 1990 are as follows:
1990, 13.4 per thousand; The Statistical Summary is posted at http://www.calib.com/nccanch/prevmnth/scope/ncands.cfm To obtain a table of State and National Child Abuse and Neglect Victimization Rates for 1999 and 2000, contact the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information by telephone at (800) 394-3366 or by email at nccanch@calib.com. The above information provided by the Administration for Children and Families web site: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/
Funding
Available for Massachusetts Charitable Food or Nutrition Programs As a result of a partial class action settlement that has been preliminarily approved by the Middlesex Superior Court in the case of "Ciardi, et. Al. v. F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd., et al., C.A. No. 99-3244D," the Settling Defendants have agreed to pay the sum of $19,600,000 into an escrow fund which, after costs of settlement administration, will be distributed to various Massachusetts charitable organizations for food and/or nutrition programs. The Court has not yet given final approval to the settlement and any funding is contingent on the settlement becoming final and the plan of distribution being approved by the Court. If the Settlement becomes final in September 2002, funds are expected to be disbursed before the end of 2002. A Request for Proposals is being made by the firm, Ellis & Rapacki LLP, 85 Merrimac St., Suite 500, Boston, MA 02114. The deadline is June 30, 2002. For more information please contact Jennifer Gaman, at 617-523-4800.
---------------------------------------------------------- The Massachusetts Campaign for Children is a program of Massachusetts Citizens for Children. Its mission is to build and maintain a statewide, grassroots membership organization, which can then become a powerful voice for the children of our state. The Campaign's goal is to engage in non-partisan electoral and legislative actions at the local and state levels that promote the well-being of all Massachusetts children, youth, and their families, and help us move children's issues to the center of every political arena. We believe that all our children have the right: to be free from poverty; to get the medical and preventive care they need; to learn in quality child care and school settings; to be safe from abuse, neglect, and violence; and to live in caring families and healthy communities. Please share this newsletter with your friends and colleagues, and urge them to join with us to become a powerful voice for the children of our state. We urge you, too, to join with us, or renew your membership if you are already a member. The Campaign for Children is a non-profit independent advocacy organization, and we receive no state or federal funding. We rely entirely on the generosity of our members and donors. Please visit www.masskids.org to join online; or call 800-CHILDREN for a free information packet. * * * *
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Massachusetts
Citizens for Children
14 Beacon Street, Suite 706 ~ Boston, MA 02108
phone: 617-742-8555 ~ fax: 617-742-7808 ~ www.masskids.org