Lower child death rate

January 28, 2008 05:14 pm

— Last week, Oklahoma received some good news and some very bad news.
The state’s child-care standards and policies are ranked No. 1 in the nation, according to the National Child Care Resource and Referral Association.
The very bad news is that Oklahoma’s child death rate as a result of abuse and neglect leads the nation.
State child welfare officials contested the ranking, saying that Oklahoma includes reports of child drownings and other accidents that other states don’t report.
But unfortunately, Oklahoma has had several high-profile child deaths from abuse over the years, the latest Kelsey Smith Briggs, whose death led to a state child protection act.
Also Oklahoma ranks 44th in child maltreatment, with 16.3 out of every 1,000 children reportedly receiving maltreatment.
This isn’t a time to make excuses, but make improvements.
Several factors lead to these child abuse and death statistics. We don’t have complete control over them all, such as poverty, but we do have control in some areas, for instance, child care laws.
Stiffening requirements in child care was smart. But it’s one thing to make laws and another to see that those laws are observed.
And when it comes to the abuse of children by their parents and other family members, we are not doing well in prevention and targeting at-risk families.