Children are our nation's most precious resource.
As a former judge and prosecutor, I have seen the terrible impact that abuse has on the lives of our children. It has an impact that robs them of their childhood and resonates throughout their adult lives inflicting irreparable damage. We have no greater responsibility as a community than to protect our children from this harm. While we wish these cases were rare occurrences, the numbers tell us a different story. Approximately three million children are reported abused and neglected in this country each year.