A Snapshot of Child Abuse

The number of individual stories of child abuse and neglect is staggering -- but it only takes a handful of these snapshots to illustrate the scope of the problem

The Tragedies of Child Abuse and Neglect

On March 12, 2008, 24-year-old Roderick led police on a high-speed chase through the crowded streets of Fishers. In the car, officers found cocaine, marijuana -- and his unrestrained 18-month-old daughter. Roderick left his child in the car alone and tried to flee on foot, but was apprehended.
On March 8, 2008, two 19-year-old parents were arrested when their 6-week-old son Jaden was seen at Riley Hospital for Children for hemorrhaging in the eyes, fractures on both legs, fractures in both feet, and a fractured left arm. Some injuries had begun to heal, showing a pattern of repeated abuse.
On December 6, 2007, a Noblesville couple left their young son alone in a van for 40 minutes on a bitter cold night. Police say Robert, Hong and their 4-year-old daughter shopped inside an Indianapolis Costco, leaving the 2 and a half-year-old boy locked inside the van, with the temperature outside just 16 degrees.
On November 27, 2007, 3-year-old TaJanay was beaten to death by her mother and the mother's boyfriend. TaJanay became a ward of the state in 2004 not long after her birth. She spent much of her life in foster care, but at the time of her death was living on a trial basis with her mother and the mother's boyfriend, a step toward permanent reunification of the family.
On November 2, 2007, police went to a Bloomington home after reports that 22-year-old Samantha, who is on probation, had been using drugs in front of her 2-year-old and 1-year-old girls. Officers say they found trash, dirty diapers, old food, and insects in the home. The children were infested with lice, and suffered numerous unidentified bug bites all over their bodies.
On January 3, 2007, stunned Indianapolis motorists found 3-year-old Damon, barefoot and wearing only a diaper and T-shirt, wandering near I-465 while his mother slept in a nearby apartment. Nancy, 30, whose son and a 2-year-old daughter were taken into protective custody, was charged with four counts of felony neglect.

By working together, we can stop abuse and neglect in its tracks. Visit our Parent Resource Center if you need support. Or if you'd like to lend a hand, visit How You Can Help

Fact and Stats

Indiana's Children 2007


State Population¹	6,271,973
Population, Children Under 18²	1,602,847
State Poverty Rate³	12.6 percent
Poverty Rate, Children Under 18⁴	16.7 percent
Poverty Rate, Children Ages 5-17⁵	14.9 percent
Poverty Rate, Children Under 5⁶	20.1 percent
All statistics are for 2005

Child Abuse and Neglect

2007 Deaths: 36

Top Characteristics of Maltreatment

Family or Marital Discord/Violent Relationships
Lack of Knowledge/Parenting Skills
Substance Abuse

2006 Child Abuse Reports:

Total Reports = 84,707 children reported in Indiana
Substantiated or Indicated Reports = 20,857 children in Indiana

Substantiated Reports By Type:

Neglect 64.6%
Sexual Abuse 21.4%
Physical Abuse 14%

2006 Child Fatalities By Age:

53 Children in Indiana
66% were 0-3 years of age
33% over 3 years of age

In 2004, Indiana had 58,586 total referrals of child abuse and neglect. Of those, 35,817 reports were referred for investigation.⁷
In 2004, 18,869 children were substantiated or indicated as abused or neglected in Indiana, a rate of 11.8 per 1,000 children, and representing a 11.0 percent decrease from 2003. Of these children, 70.3 percent were neglected, 14.6 percent were physically abused, and 20.8 percent were sexually abused.⁸
In 2004, 77 children died as a result of abuse or neglect in Indiana. ⁹
On September 30, 2004, 9,745 children in Indiana lived apart from their families in out-of-home care, compared with 8,899 children on September 30, 2003. In 2004, 37.7 percent of the children living apart from their families were age 5 or younger, and 14.4 percent were 16 or older. ¹⁰
Of the children in out-of-home care on September 30, 2004, 57.5 percent were white, 32.4 percent were black, 5.2 were Hispanic, 0.3 percent were American Indian/Alaskan Native, and 4.7 percent were children of other races and ethnicities. ¹¹

Of the 5,470 children exiting out-of-home care in 2004, 62.6 percent were reunited with their parents or other family members. ¹²
In 2004, 1,057 children were legally adopted through the public child welfare agency in Indiana, a 28.0 percent increase from 761 in 2003. ¹³
Of the 9,745 children in out-of-home care in 2004, 2,561 or 26.3 percent were waiting to be adopted. ¹⁴

In 2005, approximately 48,960 Indiana grandparents were primary caregivers to their grandchildren. ¹⁵
Of the 9,745 children in out-of-home care on September 30, 2004, 12.8 percent were living with relatives while in care. ¹⁶
Of all Indiana children in kinship care on September 30, 2004, 47.7 percent were white, 43.3 percent were black, 4.0 percent were Hispanic, 0.2 percent were American Indian/Alaskan Native, and 4.7 percent were of other races. ¹⁷

The total number of individuals receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in Indiana decreased from 124,007 in March 2005 to 119,732 in March 2006, a decrease of 3.6 percent. The number of families receiving TANF in March 2006 was 47,444, a 2.0 percent decrease from March 2005. ¹⁸
In 2002, a family of three receiving only TANF and food stamp benefits in Indiana was at 37.6 percent of the federal poverty guideline. ¹⁹
In 2004, Indiana spent $313,987,026 in TANF funds, including 38.8 percent on basic assistance, 1.4 percent on transportation, and 59.8 percent on nonassistance. ²⁰
In 2005, Indiana collected and distributed $481,249,569 in child support funds, an increase of 8.7 percent from 2004. ²¹
In 2005, the fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Indiana was $622 per month. The wage necessary to afford this two-bedroom apartment was $11.97 per hour, working a 40-hour week. ²²

In 2005, Indiana had an estimated monthly average of 32,200 children served by subsidized child care; 34,100 children received subsidized child care in 2004, and 34,300 in 2003. ²³
In 2006, to be eligible for subsidized child care in Indiana, a family of three could make no more than $20,436, which is equivalent to 37 percent of the state's median income. ²⁴
In 2006, Indiana had 4,125 children on its waiting list for child care assistance. ²⁵
In 2005, Head Start served 14,231 Indiana children, the same as in 2004. ²⁶

In 2002, 533,900 children younger than 19 were enrolled in Medicaid in Indiana, representing 60.6 percent of the total number of enrollees. ²⁷
In 2001, 12,056 foster and adopted children were enrolled in Medicaid in Indiana, representing 2.4 percent of all children in Medicaid. ²⁸
In 2001, Indiana spent $45,849,829 on Medicaid services for children in foster care, and $3,803 on Medicaid services per foster care enrollee. ²⁹
Indiana reported spending $17,375 of its total Medicaid expenditures in 2001 on targeted case management services for foster children. ³⁰
Indiana reported spending $12,387,325 of its total Medicaid expenditures in 2001 on rehabilitative services for foster children. ³¹
In 2005, Indiana had 129,544 children enrolled in its State Children's Health Insurance Program, a 60.5 percent increase from 2004, when 80,698 children were enrolled. ³²
In 2003, 6,767 babies were born weighing less than 2,500 grams, giving Indiana a ranking of 35 nationally in number of low-weight births (1 being the best, and 50 the worst). ³³
In 2003, 661 infants younger than 1 year died in Indiana, giving the state a ranking of 37 nationally in infant mortality rates (1 being the best, and 50 the worst). ³⁴
In 2004, the birth rate for teens age 15-17 in Indiana was 20.9 births per 1,000 girls; 18-19, the rate was 78.1. This reflects a total rate of 43.5 births per 1,000 girls, age 15-19. ³⁵
Cumulative through 2004, 7,516 adults and adolescents, as well as 53 children younger than 13, were reported as having HIV/AIDS in Indiana. ³⁶
In 2004, an estimated 45,000 children age 12-17, and 257,000 adults 26 and older, were dependent on or abusing illicit drugs or alcohol in Indiana. ³⁷

In 2004, 312 children aged out of out-of-home care in Indiana. ³⁸
In 2004, 40,000 Indiana teens age 16-19 were high school dropouts. ³⁹
In 2004, 10 percent of teens age 16-19 were not enrolled in school, were not working, and had no degree beyond high school. ⁴⁰
In 2004, approximately 25,000 children age 12-17 in Indiana needed, but had not received, treatment for illicit drug use in the past year. ⁴¹
In 2004, approximately 30,000 children age 12-17 needed, but had not received, treatment for alcohol use in the past year. ⁴²
In 2003, 31 children and youth younger than 20 committed suicide, a rate of 1.75 per 100,000 children. ⁴³

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

In 2003, 15 children under age 18 were killed in firearm homicides in Indiana, compared with 19 in 2002. ⁴⁴
In 2005, 34,293 children younger than 18 were arrested in Indiana, a 0.8 percent increase from 34,024 arrests in 2004. Of the arrests in 2005, 1,589 were for violent crimes and 200 were for possession of a weapon. ⁴⁵
A 2003 census of juvenile offenders showed 3,045 children in juvenile correction facilities in Indiana. ⁴⁶

Funding Child Welfare Services For Indiana's Children

In 2004, Indiana spent $405,393,440 for child welfare services. Child welfare services are all direct and administrative services the state agency provides to children and families. ⁴⁷Of this amount, 27 percent was from federal funds, 11 percent was from state funds, and 62 percent was from local funds. ⁴⁸
In 2004, of the $109,234,432 in federal funds received for child welfare, 60 percent was from Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance, 13 percent came from Title IV-B Child Welfare Services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families, 8 percent came from the Social Services Block Grant, 10 percent was from TANF, and 9 percent came from other federal sources. ⁴⁹
Out of 9,745 children in out-of-home care in Indiana on September 30, 2004, only 3,402 , or 34.9 percent, received Title IV-E federal foster care assistance. ⁵⁰

A 2003 General Accounting Office (GAO) report documented that staff shortages, high caseloads, high worker turnover and low salaries impinge on delivering services to achieve safety, permanence, and well-being for children. ⁵¹
The federal Child and Family Service Reviews have demonstrated clearly that the more time a caseworker spends with a child and family, the better the outcomes for those children and families. ⁵²
According to the 2003 GAO report, the average caseload for child welfare foster care caseworkers is 24-31 children; these high caseloads contribute to high worker turnover and insufficient services provided to children and families. CWLA recommends that foster care caseworkers have caseloads of 12-15 children. ⁵³
In 2004, the minimum annual salary for a caseworker responsible for investigating reports of abuse and neglect in Indiana was $29,172; the median income for a family of four was $65,009. ⁵⁴

Source: Child Welfare League of America, 2007

References

Kid's Can't Wait Coalition | A Snapshot of Child Abuse
Indiana Kids Can't Wait Partners | How You Can Help
Providing Support to Parents | Contact Us | Prevent Child Abuse Indiana

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