Report: Confirmed child abuse, neglect cases increase in Iowa
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By Charlotte Eby | Thursday, December 21, 2006 |
DES MOINES — The rate of confirmed child abuse and neglect cases rose 66 percent between 2000 and 2005 in Iowa, according to a new report issued by a child advocacy group.
A study by Iowa Kids Count measured 19 factors of the well-being of Iowa children and revealed both good and bad news.
Eleven of the factors studied showed improvement, while seven deteriorated and one remained unchanged.
Iowa Kids Count Director Michael Crawford said the rise in confirmed child abuse and neglect cases could be attributed to the fact that many young families are struggling financially.
“I think the economy hasn’t done as well the last five years as it has during the 1990s, and that does cause a stress on families,” Crawford said.
The number of people receiving food stamps increased over the five-year period as the unemployment rate in Iowa rose.
In 2000, Iowa’s unemployment rate sat at 2.6 percent, but five years later, it hit 4.6 percent, according to Crawford.
“I think you have to look at the fact that financially, families have a tougher time making ends meet than they did maybe five years ago,” Crawford said.
These families could be helped by raising Iowa’s minimum wage, Crawford said. He thinks increasing the earned income tax credit at both the state and federal levels would also benefit them.
Roger Munns, a spokesman with the Iowa Department of Human Services, said the greatest single predictor of child abuse is the stress of poverty.
The agency responds to cases of child abuse, which have been rising since the early 1990s.
“You can argue that society is changing, or you can argue that we’re better at detecting abuse,” Munns said of the trend. “I think it’s part of both.”
He said high-profile abuse cases spur the public to report suspected abuse to DHS in greater numbers.
But Munns said the number of people receiving food stamp assistance is not a good barometer of the poverty rate.
State officials have aggressively reached out to those eligible for food stamps to enroll them in the federally funded program rather than waiting for them to seek assistance. A record 233,000 Iowans were receiving food stamps in October, up from 154,000 in July 2003.
The Iowa Kids Count study did hold positive news for the welfare of Iowa children by some other measures.
Most notably, the child death rate decreased by 18 percent, and the infant mortality rate was reduced by 16 percent during the study period.
The birth rate for teens ages 15-19 and the teen unmarried birth rate both dropped 11 percent during that same time frame.
Charlotte Eby can be reached at (515) 243-0138 or chareby@aol.com.
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