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- Georgia received 101,563 reports of child abuse last year (PSDS CY04)
- 30,951 of those were substantiated as victims of child abuse (PSDS CY04)
- About 85% of those children were victims of severe neglect
- About 11% were physically abused
- About 5% were sexually abused - that is about 2411 children sexually abused in CY04
- 15,119 children were in care as of December 2005
- 30% of those children have been in foster care more than 24 months
- 50% of those children were African American
- 41% of those children were less than 6 years old
- 67% were younger than 12
- About 2,237 of those children were staying with relatives
- About 8,386 were staying in foster homes
- About 1,561 were in group homes
- About 974 were housed in institutions
- Approximately 8% of the children discharged will re-enter foster care within 1 year
- Foster parents are reimbursed according to the age of the child: birth to 5, $13.75; 6-12, $15.50; 13 and above, $17.75. The rate is higher for children needing medical care or a higher level of supervision. Medical treatment and clothing costs are covered by the agency.
- Georgia 's 200 group homes are paid for about 68% of their costs (GAHSC 2005)
- Georgia 's 4,174 foster parents are paid for about 67% of their costs (USDA 2004)
- Those 4,174 families save the state approximately $34 million per year
Georgia ranks 39 out of 50 states in overall child well being (Kids Count, Family Connections).
The long-term cost of failing to meet this need appropriately raises the stakes for system improvement. A paper published by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in July 2001 reports that a substantial body of research shows that:
- Maltreated children are significantly more likely than non-maltreated children to become involved in delinquent or criminal behavior.
- The prevalence of childhood abuse or neglect among delinquent and criminal populations is substantially greater than that in the general population.
- Delinquent youth with a history of abuse and neglect are at higher risk of continuing their delinquent behavior than delinquents without such a history.
2/09/06