Working for the children

Guest Commentary
April 30, 2008

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Approximately four children are fatally abused or neglected in the United State each day. Overall, child maltreatment is the second leading cause of death for children under the age of 5.

In 2005-06 there were approximately 3.3 million referrals made nationwide alleging maltreatment toward roughly 6 million children. If you are following the local news, you know Colorado has not been immune.

A just-completed survey in Colorado revealed these characteristics:

»The majority of child maltreatment fatality victims were Caucasian, slightly more than half were female and 90 percent were under the age of 5.

» Most parents were in their early 20s.

» 70 percent of the families had a history of identified domestic violence.

»54 percent had experienced substance abuse issues.

»Most of the victims were only children or the youngest of the siblings.

Colorado is one of 13 states with a state-supervised and county-administered social services system. Changes are now being made at both levels as a result of the survey results.

Training is being improved for all supervisors and caseworkers across Colorado.

Partnership programs are being developed with other state agencies to create new public health initiatives, such as parenting classes specifically targeted at younger parents.

More services will be provided for families and children with domestic violence history.

Communication between the state, counties and local agencies will be enhanced. Realistic caseload standards for intake and ongoing workers will be established and maintained.

The legislature has passed several bills to address these problems and has budgeted for increased staffing to respond to the growing need for coordination and better case management.

Additional recommendations will be made to assist in implementing long-term systemic changes related to the issues identified in the report.

A number of local nonprofit agencies that are very active in working with children and families deserve your support. Call the "211" network to be referred to agencies where you can volunteer your services, support their fundraising activities, or help in other ways. Our children and their parents need your help. This is one area in our community we cannot afford to neglect.

In the current legislative session we made children one of our top priorities by passing legislation to:

»allow 22,000 more 5-year-olds to attend full-day kindergarten;

»eliminate the waiting list for the Colorado Preschool Program by creating 3,000 additional slots;

»create the Colorado Counselor Corps and add 70 new school counselors to work in middle and high schools;

»enroll 50,000 more kids in health care plans over the next few years by expanding Child Health Plan Plus funding;

»add $53 million for higher education to hold down the cost of college;

»substantially cut the developmentally disabled waitlist with an $8 million increase in funding;

»increase provider rates so more doctors will be willing to treat Medicaid patients, young and old;

»toughen penalties for sex abuse of children;

»and increase access to child care services.

We are working to meet that challenge, to protect our children's health and safety, and to create new opportunities where they can grow up and get a good job in a thriving economy.

Rep. Jim Riesberg, a Democrat, represents state House District 50, which includes eastern Greeley.