CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

• In 2000, 19,084 children were reported as abused or neglected and referred for investigation in South Carolina, a rate of 18.9 per 1,000 children.¹
• In 2000, 11,246 children were substantiated or indicated as abused or neglected in South Carolina, a rate of 11.1 per 1,000 children-a 17% increase from 1999. Of every 1,000 children, 5.9 were neglected, 1.5 were physically abused, and 0.6 were sexually abused.²
• In 2000, 20 children died as a result of abuse or neglect.³
• On September 30, 2000, 4,566 children in South Carolina lived apart from their families in out-of-home care, compared with 4,645 children on September 30, 1999. In 2000, 26.8% of the children living apart from their families were age 5 or younger, and 18.6% were 16 or older.⁴

Boys Farm Inc. offers hope to boys who find themselves caught within the state's child welfare system. With its therapeutic family model, Boys Farm offers a safe, healing alternative to foster care.

REFERENCES

U.S. Children's Bureau. (2002). Child maltreatment 2000. Available online at www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/publications/cm00/outcover.htm. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families.

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.

4 U.S Children's Bureau. (2002, August). The AFCARS report: Interim FY 2000 estimates as of August 2002. Available online at www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb/publications/afcars/report7.htm. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families.