Child Protection Statistics August 2025

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

KARA sporadically compiles articles, research, and reports on child abuse and child protection around the nation & internationally. Child rights, safety, protection are just a few of the topics you will find addressed in the approximately 100 articles below.

We are seeking a volunteer to make this a regular feature on our website. Contact Hello@invisiblechildren.org with volunteer research in the subject line if this might be you.
KARA is seeking university research on the topics of childhood trauma, children’s rights, parental rights, foster care, adoption, child protection, children’s mental health, juvenile justices and child advocacy. Contact Hello@invisiblechildren.org with volunteer university research in the subject line if this might be you.

Join KARA’s Child Advocacy Team (& make your community’s children safe)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - US Based

Ways for KARA readers to raise their voice for at risk children. The options in the Read More below provide direct impact, community building, and how to create policy change for at risk children where you live.

Join KARA’s team of followers to interrupt child abuse and heal the children that need our help. Over the years, millions of KARA followers have shared information with their friends, social media, and policy makers and gone on to lend a helping hand for child friendly initiatives in their communities.

KARA UPDATES

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, KARA News and Events

KARA UPDATES are sent once a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also SIGN UP HERE Send your comments, stories, & information important to KARA conversations about child abuse and child protection here: info@invisiblechildren.org with HELLO in the subject line. We are a volunteer organization and unable to answer all correspondence. We will notify you if your subject matter is included in KARA’s social media.

Become an advocate for abused and neglected children and send your favorite posts to your State Representative. Find them here. They make the policies that rule the lives of At-Risk children.

Podcast – What Happened to You? Understanding ACEs & Childhood Trauma

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Data, Education, invisible children, KARA News and Events, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - US Based

In this podcast episode of Kids at Risk Action, Emma and Michael unpack the groundbreaking ACE Study—research that forever changed how we understand childhood trauma. They explore how early adversity doesn’t just impact emotions—it rewires the brain, alters the body, and shortens lives. With staggering statistics

If You Live In MN You Should Do This

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - MN Specific

The Safe Passage Report on Child Maltreatment Deaths is a remarkable report – not in a good way. It demonstrates how common it is for Minnesota children to die from abuse in the home even after they have become known to CPS. This report is still only the the tip of the horrors facing abused children as;

DHS did not cooperate with the investigator,
Four counties did not respond,
Child deaths reported were only those that had court filings or had been reported in the media

All Adults Are the Protectors of All Children (Don Shelby)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Children's Rights, Public Policy, Reporting and News - International, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

Policies that keep children in homes with life‑threatening harm on the grounds of unproven or unscientific beliefs—account for avoidable homicidal deaths of hundreds of MN children and many more tortured and near-death experiences annually. When Child Protection becomes more transparent when studies like the one linked above become common, this reality will be recognized in all…

International Rights of the Child Treaty (& why jails are full)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Children's Rights, Juvenile + Criminal Justice, Mikes Favorite Posts, Public Policy, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - International, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

Over 25 years ago the rest of the world (194 nations) decided that children have basic human rights and begin signing the International Rights of the Child Treaty. Under this document, children are to have the rights to education, safety and well being including not to be made soldiers, not to be enslaved).

America is the only nation that has not signed that agreement, largely because we still demand that southern states continue to militarize youth as young as eleven, through military schools.

Terminating the CASA Volunteer GAL Program Will Cost Children’s Lives and Taxpayers Money

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

On Tuesday, 4.22.25 National CASA/GAL received notice that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has terminated (CASA National) federal grant awards – among 360 notices of termination the DOJ issued this week. All 12 million dollars.

In this fast moving effort to “cut waste” and “save money”

ACES Economic Burden on Healthcare (PODCAST)

Aces and Trauma, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Data, PODCAST & STREAMING, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

In this PODCAST episode of Kids at Risk Action, Emma and Michael expose the massive $14.1 trillion economic toll of untreated childhood trauma in America. They connect the dots between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and long-term impacts on health, education, and the justice system

A Closer Look At Child Fatality and Egregious Incident Reporting

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Data, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

Child Fatality & Egregious Incident Reporting: A U.S. Overview America’s approach to exposing and understanding the gravest harms done to children—fatalities, near-deaths, torture, and catastrophic agency failures—reveals a nation deeply divided by geography, law, and political will. The result is a patchwork of minimal transparency. Some states shine a light on information that has been…

How Media Shapes Child Welfare Perception (#1 in KARA’s Child Welfare Series)

#childabuse, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Media, PODCAST & STREAMING, PODCASTS, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

how media coverage of child welfare too often focuses only on tragedy — fueling blame, misunderstanding, and reduced public support for the very systems meant to protect vulnerable children.

Struggles for Foster Care Children in Education (podcast #4 in Foster Series)

Aces and Trauma, Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Education, Featured Articles, Mikes Favorite Posts, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - US Based

how foster youth are systematically failed within America’s education system. They expose how constant school changes, untreated trauma, and misdiagnoses isolate these children, often pushing them into special education, overmedication, or even the juvenile justice system

KARA Nonprofit Fully Funded Programs

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Featured Articles, KARA News and Events, Reporting and News - US Based

Today, Kids At Risk Action has two fully funded direct support programs for nonprofits to grow awareness and find support in their community. Share this with your nonprofit friends. In partnership with the nonprofit Seeds of Success, we’re offering two, high-impact programs designed to help your nonprofit organization increase donations, find volunteers, increase your capacity to raise critical awareness about child abuse in your community, and boost your chances at new grant opportunities:

The Assault on Child Protection Part 4 (Racial Disparity)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Data, Education, Public Policy, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

Medicaid and SNAP cuts will disproportionately harm poor people and communities of color across the United States, with devastating statistical impacts:

Medicaid Coverage Losses: Over 13 million Black and more than 19 million Hispanic individuals rely on Medicaid for health coverage, with nearly 30% of Black and Hispanic populations dependent on it,

The Assault on Child Protection PART 3 (what this will cost)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, Data, Education, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

Nationally, cuts will deepen inequality, entrench generational poverty, and erode the foundation for future economic growth. This is not budget tightening—it is a deliberate dismantling of the infrastructure that keeps children safe and families stable. We will be a sicker, poorer, less educated, and less productive America, with the highest price paid by its most vulnerable children and the communities already struggling to survive.

The Assault on Child Protection – Part 2

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Data, Day Care and Education, Public Policy, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics, The States

The combined cuts to child friendly programs will impact some states more than other. This article presents a snapshot of what different states will be experiencing. Send  KARA information concerning what’s happening in your state (send to info@invisiblechildren.org with CUTS in the subject line).

California:

The Assault on Child Protection PART 1

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Day Care and Education, Education, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

Between DOGE cuts to child friendly programs and policies and the big beautiful bill, the cuts and service reductions described below will impact millions of children and families nationwide. In the foster care system alone, over 343,000 children are currently in care across the United States, with the largest numbers…

LGBTQ Foster Care, Suicide, & Ground Truths (podcast #3 in KARA’s foster care series)

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, LGBTQ, Reporting and News - US Based, Stunning Statistics

the harsh realities faced by LGBTQ+ youth in the foster care system — a population far too often isolated, unsupported, and at devastating risk of homelessness, suicide, and trauma. They share staggering statistics, heartbreaking stories, and expose how

Worker Bees Speaking Out

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Protection, Media, Mikes Favorite Posts, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based

Many reading this post may not be in the job you are doing this time next year. DOGE and other Federal policy changes have determined that the work being done for at-risk children and families is either wasteful or like DEI the wrong approach to public policy. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently stated that significantly less than 20% of funding cuts will be reversed

Part 4 of 5: Why Early Childhood Investment Outperforms Remedial Spending

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Protection, Data, Day Care and Education, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

Compared to other government expenditures, early childhood programs are uniquely cost-effective. K–12 education spends ~$15,000/student annually with diminishing returns; prison systems cost $40,000/inmate yearly with high recidivism. Meanwhile, early childhood interventions like Head Start save $4.8B–$16.1B per

Part 3: Scaling the “Minnesota Model” for Maximum ROI Impact

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Data, Day Care and Education, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

Market-based scholarship programs like Minnesota’s Early Learning Scholarships (MELS) prove these returns are scalable. MELS provides vouchers to low-income parents, empowering them to choose high-quality programs. Result: an 18% inflation-adjusted public ROI—higher than the S&P 500’s historical average111210. The keys to replicating this success are: Targeting at-risk children: Returns exceed $17 per dollar in high-poverty neighborhoods7. Parent empowerment:…

Part 2: The Science Behind Early Childhood Returns (ROI)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Data, Day Care and Education, Education, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based, Statistics

The extraordinary ROI of early childhood programs stems from neurobiological and economic synergy. During ages 0–5, the brain forms 1 million neural connections per second, creating foundational skills that dictate lifelong learning, health, and behavior56. Programs like Child-Parent Centers leverage this plasticity: at-risk children receiving enriched preschool and parent mentoring achieved $10.83 in societal benefits per dollar spent by age…

In Custody, In Crisis (podcast episode #1)

#childabuse, Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Protection, Mental Health + Over Medication, PODCAST & STREAMING, PODCASTS, Public Policy, Reporting and News - US Based

dive into the “ground truth” of the foster care system — exposing the often-unseen hardships children face even after being placed in protective care. Through heartbreaking stories like Alex’s and alarming statistics on abuse

Foster Child Self-Harm & Suicide June 2025

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child self harm and suicide, Reporting and News - US Based

Childhood trauma, suicide and self-harm among American youth are at historic highs, with alarming increases among fosters, preteens, girls, LGBTQ+ youth, and children of color. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for ages 10–24, and nearly one in five high school students has seriously considered suicide in the past year. Rates of…

This year’s Budget, Bills, and Abused Children

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Public Policy, Reporting and News - MN Specific

For the next biennium, legislators appropriated 40 million dollars to modernize Minnesota’s Social Services Information System. This will create more training, collection of child welfare data, clarity, transparency, and best practices throughout the “life of a case” and shine a light on how well or poorly programs and policies are working. This upgrade of our…

What Happened to Aaliya Goodwin (a KARA Podcast)

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Their stories

the heartbreaking case of five-month-old Aaliya Goodwin, who died of positional asphyxia while under the care of her drug-abusing parents. Despite multiple reports of neglect, substance abuse, and unsafe conditions, Aaliya remained in the home due to systemic failures in Minnesota’s child protection system

A Win For Abused Children of Minnesota

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Child self harm and suicide, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Stunning Statistics

Safe Passage For Children of Minnesota has helped bring the issue of transparency of child abuse death and near death into the light and Legislature in our State. In about three weeks, Minnesota will create a statewide child fatality and near fatality review panel to track cases of children dying and suffering egregious harm while…

Politics, Religion, and At-Risk Children

CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Children's Rights, Religion, Politics + the Law, Reporting and News - US Based

This is a dangerous time to be an abused child in America. Slash and burn politics and religious organizations are dismantling a large percentage of government and non governmental agencies keeping children safe. The COVID lockdown kept defenseless children in horrific circumstances without access to safety or healing for two years. Services before COVID and…

MN Guardian ad Litem Program by the Numbers

All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Public Policy, Reporting and News - MN Specific

47 years ago, the CASA volunteer Guardian ad Litem program came to Minnesota. At the time, some children were not able to have a CASA Guardian assigned because there were not enough volunteers to keep up with growing caseloads. This CASA remembers between 50 and 100 children throughout the year not having a CASA to…

Seeking Stories About Childhood Trauma

Aces and Trauma, Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, KARA News and Events, LGBTQ, Their stories

KARA’s next book will be the gathered wisdom from those of us with stories about child abuse, child protection, and childhood trauma. Do you have a story you want to tell?

We invite writers to submit original work of 300-400 words for consideration in our upcoming book, (working title), CHILD ABUSE IN THE MIRROR.

Vulnerabilities in the Foster Care System (podcast)

Adoption, Foster and Kinship Care, All Posts from Kids at Risk Action, CASA, GAL and Child Protection, Child Abuse and Deaths, Child Protection, Featured Articles, PODCAST & STREAMING, Reporting and News - MN Specific, Reporting and News - US Based

In this episode of Kids at Risk Action, hosts Ashley and Alex discuss a heartbreaking case in which a 7-week-old infant suffered 13 fractures while in foster care, allegedly inflicted by the foster mother. This case highlights the systemic issues within the foster care system, including inadequate resources, lack of oversight, and insufficient training and support for foster parents.