IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 299 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should 

increase public awareness of child abuse and neglect and should continue 

to work with the States to reduce the incidence of child abuse and 

neglect through such programs as the Child Welfare Services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families programs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 17, 2007 

Mr. MCDERMOTT (for himself and Mr. WELLER of Illinois) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

Congress should increase public awareness of child abuse 

and neglect and should continue to work with the States 

to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect 

through such programs as the Child Welfare Services 

and Promoting Safe and Stable Families programs. 

Whereas child abuse and neglect continue to pose a serious 

threat to our Nation’s children; 

Whereas according to the most recent annual estimates, 

3,600,000 children were the subject of child abuse and 

neglect investigations in 2005, an increase of 462,000 

children from 2001; 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
2 

•HRES 299 IH 

Whereas more than 899,000 children were found to be the 

victims of abuse and neglect in 2005; 

Whereas as of the end of 2005, approximately 513,000 children were unable to live safely with their families and instead were living in foster homes and institutions; 

Whereas an estimated 1,460 children died because of abuse 

and neglect in 2005; 

Whereas more than 75 percent of the children who died because of abuse and neglect in 2005 were under the age 

of 4; 

Whereas studies have found that abused and neglected children tend to be at least 25 percent more likely than the 

general population of children to experience problems 

such as delinquency, teen pregnancy, low academic 

achievement, drug use, and mental illness; 

Whereas a National Institute of Justice study indicated abuse 

or neglect during childhood increased the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 59 percent and adult criminal behavior by 28 percent; 

Whereas studies have found that abusive parents often were 

themselves the victims of child abuse; 

Whereas it is estimated that approximately 1⁄3 of abused and 

neglected children will eventually victimize their own children; 

Whereas child abuse and neglect can have long-term economic 

and societal costs through the increased use of the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems, the increased 

health care costs resulting from mental illness, substance 

abuse, and domestic violence, and the loss of economic 

productivity due to unemployment and underemployment; 

and 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
3 

•HRES 299 IH 

Whereas it is appropriate to designate the month of April, 

2007 as National Child Abuse Prevention Month: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that Congress should increase public aware3 ness of child abuse and neglect and should continue to 

4 work with the States to reduce the incidence of child abuse 

5 and neglect through such programs as the Child Welfare 

6 Services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families pro7 grams. 

Æ 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with BILLS