Latest Children Committee Stories

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Protect Our Children Committee (POCC) released Examining Child Abuse Fatalities to Improve Child Protection. The report reveals that 412 Pennsylvania children died as a result of substantiated child abuse between 2002 and 2011. A fuller examination of a subset of 146 fatalities occurring between 2008 and 2011 discovered that: 83% of the children died before they reached a 5th birthday; 51% lived in a family active with...

<font size="2" face="Arial">HARRISBURG, Pa.</font>, Nov. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday, November 21, 2011, stakeholders who are diverse in their daily work but united in their commitment to protecting every Pennsylvania child from abuse and victimization will renew a call for a Child Protection and Accountability Commission. In April, the Protect Our Children Committee (POCC) wrote to Governor Tom Corbett and leaders of the General Assembly asking that they create a...

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania remains in a state of shock as a result of the allegations by at least eight children that they were sexually assaulted by a former Penn State University football coach. The victimization of these young people, the failure of adults to step in, and the ways in which laws may have permitted silence and inaction have led to outrage and calls for swift action. On Monday, November 21st at 9:00 a.m. the Protect Our...

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Citing Pennsylvania as a "statistical outlier" with regard to when and how it investigates and substantiates child abuse, more than sixty physicians, faith leaders, and organizations urged Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett and leaders of the General Assembly to prioritize child abuse prevention and treatment. Pennsylvania's rate of substantiated child abuse consistently deviates from the national rate. In 2009, the substantiation rate was 1.4...