Putting our kids first

perspective

Putting our kids first
State must bolster child services

By Becky Miller Updike and Bob Cooper
Article Last Updated: 03/22/2008 04:37:29 PM MDT


Tennyson Center teacher Kat Kimling guides a student through the halls of the school last week. (Tim Reese, Sundance Photography)

"The city of Denver recently announced it was going to tap into emergency reserves to hire 40 additional child welfare workers to handle ballooning caseloads.

But why is our city forced to raid emergency funds and piece together private grants to protect the most important resource our state has — our children?

Colorado ranks fifth in the nation in terms of wealth and per-capita income. Yet we have the eighth-highest rate of children living in poverty. Colorado is home to one of the largest concentrations of bachelor's degree graduates in the United States. Yet we rank among the bottom 10 states in terms of the number of students who graduate from high school.

Since 2001, the number of child abuse reports in Colorado has risen by more than 60 percent, while the number of child caseworkers has increased by only 8 percent.

Gov. Bill Ritter and Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien are making great strides in advancing children's access to preschool, education and health care in our state. However, there remains a moral and social responsibility to immediately address the needs of the children who need us most — those who are currently in the child welfare system and face the greatest levels of risk.

Almost half of the child abuse reports made this past year have not had the proper follow-up because our system is by all accounts over-burdened. And Colorado is currently investigating 13 child deaths statewide that were reported cases of abuse that "fell through the cracks."

Research has shown that children who experience abuse are 59 percent more likely to be arrested as juveniles, 28 percent more likely to be arrested as adults and 30 percent more likely to commit violent crimes. Other studies have found that as these children age, they are up to seven times more likely to experience major health problems.

In short, they will become drains on our society rather than contributors.

But the situation is not without hope. Research on risk and resilience demonstrates that children who have been abused can overcome adversity and thrive when they receive protection, treatment and access to positive influences and support.

We can make a difference in these children's lives. In fact, we must. It is our responsibility during this election season to ask the important questions and ensure that child welfare is part of the political dialogue. We need to support the candidates who prioritize the prevention and treatment of child abuse.

State government will have to play a key role if Colorado is going to move from a state of too many at-risk children to a state where children are protected and prized.

Some important legislative steps include mandating a maximum number of caseloads that county caseworkers are allowed to carry, and expanding state and county interagency collaboration to reduce service fragmentation, increase efficiency and streamline services to provide a comprehensive continuum of care.

But it will take a commitment from all of us to turn this situation around. It is time for leaders from business, philanthropic, academic and faith communities to collaborate and join government leaders in the fight to prevent child abuse in Colorado.

We invite everyone to learn more about these issues by visiting www.childabuse.org and read the Children's Action Agenda, a comprehensive agenda to help legislators introduce and measure policies that serve children in our state.

We encourage everyone to sign this important online petition and to let our state government know that children — all children — must be a political priority."

Becky Miller Updike is director of strategic initiatives and the Every Child Matters campaign at the Tennyson Center for Children in Denver. Bob Cooper is president of the center.