Each year in Maine, abuse prematurely ends the lives of at least three children, irreparably damages thousands of other lives and costs the state millions of dollars. Fortunately, there are programs that can reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect. To do so, they need more money to reach more Maine families.

The successful programs are being highlighted by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a group founded by police chiefs, sheriffs and crime victims to advocate for anti-crime programs that work. The three programs in Maine with proven results involve home visits to soon-to-be and new parents. The programs – Healthy Families America, Parents as Teachers and Parents are Teachers Too – all offer in-home visits for first-time parents to provide information about parenting skills, child care options, educational opportunities, support services and other things a family may need. Nationally, such programs resulted in five times fewer substantiated cases of child abuse.

Despite their success, these programs only reach about half of the Maine families in need of such assistance. Putting more money into these programs, which are largely federally funded, will save the state and federal government in the end.

Maine now spends $5 million annually on child-abuse prevention, largely from the state’s tobacco settlement money. However, it spends $83 million on child welfare programs. The federal government contributes another $60 million, for more than $140 million spent after problems have been identified. Putting money into prevention could dramatically reduce these expenditures. According to a study by the RAND Corp., every $1 invested in parent coaching programs saves taxpayers $4.

More than money can be saved.

According to state statistics, 3,746 children were officially substantiated to be the victims of abuse or neglect in Maine in 2002. Since many cases of abuse and neglect are not reported or substantiated, officials estimate that more than 10,000 children are abused or neglected here each year. From 1998 to 2002, 15 children were documented as dying from abuse or neglect in Maine. Again, these numbers likely reflect only a partial count because an official cause is not determined in many deaths. Typically, half of the children who die of abuse or neglect do so before their second birthday.

The statistics are also crimes for those who survive abuse. Of the 3,746 children abused or neglected in Maine in 2002, experts believe that 150 will become violent criminals because of their maltreatment. “I’ve been in law enforcement long enough to see the little children that I encountered on abuse and neglect calls grow up to be adult criminals I have to arrest for hurting others. The violence continues from one generation to the next,” says Penobscot County Sheriff Glenn Ross, who is a member of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids.

The home visitation programs are a good way to break this cycle. Putting more funds into these programs now will pay off in many ways later.