Number of children’s deaths after abuse investigations has risen
Former DCF administrator says 2003 policy change has put kids at risk
February 27, 2011 By Carol Marbin Miller, The Miami Herald
….Statistically, however, Nubia’s story is rather common: She is one of hundreds of Florida children who died of abuse or neglect during the past decade after child welfare authorities had performed at least one investigation into their welfare. Florida not only leads the United States in the number of such deaths, it dominates the nation.
After a controversial decision by child welfare administrators to halve the number of children taken into state care — while reducing the number of children receiving protective services with their birth families — the number of dead children with a child protection investigative history almost doubled, from 35 in 2001 to 69 in 2009. No statistics are available for 2010.
Over the past six years, 41 percent of all children who died of abuse or neglect in Florida had been the subject of at least one prior contact with child protection authorities, the state Department of Health reports. The average for all other states: about 12 percent.
In 2008, the number of Florida children with a history of abuse or neglect reports who later died made up almost half of the U.S. total. In 2009, 64 of the 120 child deaths nationally with a history of reports occurred in Florida — or 53 percent.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-02-27/news/fl-barahona-dcf-policy-20110227_1_abuse-or-neglect-child-deaths-child-welfare
Girl spanked to death in the name of God
Anderson Cooper 360 August 15, 2011
Gary Tuchman reports on an author who says you must spank your child and a couple who killed their daughter doing it.
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2011/08/15/exp.ac.tuchman.punishment.cnn
