DCF plans to reduce child abuse rates
 

DCF plans to reduce child abuse rates

Tallahassee, Florida - Florida officials hope a new plan to reduce
child abuse will help evacuees of Hurricane Katrina as well that are
streaming into the state and looking for refuge.

The latest figures show Florida's abuse and neglect rate is 32.3
victims per 1,000 children. The Department of Children and Families
wants to reduce that rate by about 50 percent.

The agency thinks it can achieve that goal by working to improve
prevention programs.

DCF Secretary Lucy Hadi says the main goal is to use effective
prevention programs to help make sure children are raised in safe and
nurturing families.

Another goal of DCF's five-year plan is to reduce the recurrence of
child abuse. Currently, 8.8 percent of abused children in Florida
suffer more abuse within six months. The DCF secretary wants to lower
that rate by more than half as we
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