Child Welfare By: Annabel Linares

INFORMATION REGARDING CHILD WELFARE

PREVIOUS ISSUES WITH CHILD WELFARE o In the 1990s, violent crimes, property crimes and sex crimes had been very common but since mid-1990s, they have declined. o From 1992 to 2011, sexual abuse has declined 63% due to the child protection authorities. o Violence against children aged 12 to 17 years also declined substantially in mid- 1990s onward as shown by the National Crime Victimization Survey. o Out of 50 cases examined, there was sign of 27 significant declines of abuse. Declines were particularly large for assault victimization, bullying, and sexual victimization. The objective of the Crimes Against Children Research Center is to find patterns of abuse to try to minimize any sort of abuse.

CURRENT ISSUES WITH CHILD WELFARE o Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) is a league that makes sure that they can help give a home to every child they come acrossChild Welfare League of America (CWLA) o They are also trying to send the message to families in America in how to treat their children. o Child maltreatment is shown mainly when people are having difficult time. The CWLA remind families that “we protect and nurture our children and the role we all play in keeping them safe in an increasingly challenging climate.” o The League’s goal is to make sure that the children in America are being taken care of and treaty right and that every child has a place they can call home and people they can call family.

THE FUTURE OF CHILD WELFARE o The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services has a goal to educate families in ways to treat their children in order to create a more safe environment in homes o They come up with questions parents may have about educating their children (i.e. “What’s the difference between discipline and abuse?” o By learning more about the maltreatment about children and how a parent should treat their children, people will be more aware on when the children around them are being abused or they will learn how they themselves can be better parents.

ELIZABETH SMART "The goal is to create an opportunity for professionals in the area of child welfare and child safety," Jennifer Redding, chairperson of the symposium's planning committee, said. o Elizabeth Smart was abducted in Utah when she was 14 years old o She was found 9 months later on March 12, 2003 o Since her terrifying experience, Smart has grown into a strong activist who advocates for child safety o She helps the National Amber Alert and The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety. o She also founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation o She talks in church seminars to raise awareness of Child Welfare

LESLIE BROCK o Brock is currently a Chase Private Client Banker at JPMorgan Chase Bank. o She supports families by coming up with strategies that help address the areas of Wealth Accumulation, Retirement Funding, Estate Conservation and Family Protection. o Brock does not strictly help neglected or abused individuals and families but she helps individuals prevent having any issues with neglect by making sure they are financially stable.

STEPHANIE CUCCARO-ALAMIN o She’s an associate specialist at UC Berkeley’s Social Welfare Center for Social Services Research o She works on the California Child Welfare Indicators Project (CCWIP) o Her research interests include child welfare services and poverty o Alamin does community and family engagement to find a permanent home for kids in foster care

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING ! “100DAYS4KIDS CAMPAIGN IS DESIGNED TO DRIVE A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE STATE OF CHILD PROTECTION IN AMERICA. THIS CONVERSATION SPANNING FACEBOOK TWITTER AND YOUTUBE WAS CREATED TO SPARK AND MAINTAIN DISCUSSION ABOUT THE WAYS WE PROTECT AND NURTURE OUR CHILDREN AND THE ROLE WE ALL PLAY IN KEEPING THEM SAFE IN AN INCREASINGLY CHALLENGING CLIMATE.”