Petition for a Public Child Abuse Registry in All States and Expanded Criteria

Every year, millions of children are involved in child welfare investigations in the United States. Tragically, many of these children continue to experience abuse and neglect, even when they are under the supervision of child protective services. In fact, according to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), an estimated 1,750 children died from abuse or neglect in the U.S. in 2020 alone.

To address this urgent issue, we call on state legislatures to implement public child abuse registries in all states and expand the criteria for inclusion. Public registries provide essential information for protecting children from individuals who may pose a risk, while also promoting transparency and accountability in child welfare systems. We propose the following changes:

1. Mandate public child abuse registries in all states, ensuring the information is easily accessible to families, employers, and other concerned parties.

2. Include individuals who have been investigated for child abuse or neglect three or more times, regardless of whether the allegations were substantiated, in order to better identify patterns of concern.

3. Implement safeguards to ensure due process and protect the rights of individuals who have been falsely accused, such as a review process for challenging inclusion on the registry.

By making these changes, we can help protect vulnerable children and create a more transparent and effective child welfare system. We urge lawmakers to take action on this critical issue.