William C. Bell, President and CEO, shares thoughts on Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities Report

Today, William C. Bell, President and CEO of Casey Family Programs, released the following statement on the landmark report from the federal Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF). Each year in America, an estimated 1,500 to 3,000 children die from maltreatment, often at the hands of caregivers. The 12-member committee, jointly appointed by President Obama and Congress, spent the past two years developing a national strategy and recommendations for keeping more children safe from harm.

“Casey Family Programs applauds the critically important work of the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities. America can and must do more to ensure that our most vulnerable citizens are kept safe from harm and that every community can provide the supports at-risk families need to grow strong.

We wholeheartedly agree with the commission that keeping children safe is the highest priority, deserving of broad national attention and commitment. We look forward to reviewing and evaluating the committee’s recommendations and working with our partners and a broad coalition of stakeholders to support improvements that can save lives and create better futures for children and families in every ZIP code in America.”

About Casey Family Programs

Casey Family Programs is the nation’s largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care and building Communities of Hope for children and families across America. Our mission is to provide and improve — and ultimately prevent the need for — foster care.

About the Commission

The Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF) is a national commission convened by the President and Congress to develop a national strategy and recommendations for reducing fatalities across the country resulting from child abuse and neglect. Its full report is available here.