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©
2009 Jordan Institute
for Families
Vol.
14, No. 2
May 2009
Child Maltreatment in NC: What the Data Tell Us
North Carolina DSS agencies seeking to understand and improve their performance have tremendous resources available to them. Consider Figures A and B, for example.
These data show us that although the number of maltreatment reports have been increasing, the percentage of children in the overall population reported for maltreatment has not. A likely explanation for the difference between the two figures is the increase in the state’s overall population: the number of children under 18 has increased 17% since 1998.
It’s a good thing that the rate of reported maltreatment has remained fairly constant as our state’s population has changed. Yet the data confirm that over the past ten years the number of maltreatment reports received by child welfare agencies has steadily increased. This raises challenges and opportunities for agencies as they consider staffing needs and strategies for outreach, education, and prevention in response to changing demographics and community needs.
What does your county’s data show? And how might your agency create new partnerships to address the changing face of child welfare?
To learn more, click on “State Level Data” and then visit the “Abuse and Neglect” section of North Carolina’s Child Welfare website at <http://ssw.unc.edu/cw>.