Overview All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories have child abuse and neglect reporting laws that mandate certain professionals and institutions refer suspected maltreatment to a child protective services (CPS) agency. Each state has its own … Read More
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Abuse of Youth Placed in Residential Facilities
What GAO Found Prior GAO reports have described allegations of youth being maltreated, and sometimes killed, by staff employed at residential facilities. Many of the youth placed in residential facilities are in foster care. Youth in foster care may be … Read More
Child Welfare: Purposes, Federal Programs, and Funding
The Work of Child Welfare Agencies Children depend on adults—usually their parents—to protect and support them. The broadest mission of public child welfare agencies is to strengthen families so that children can depend on their parents to provide them with … Read More