The Associated Press
Advocates for Alabama's children always knew the emotional price of child abuse and neglect, the way it eats away at its victims and often causes physical wounds that heal while internal scars remain. But they began researching the financial impact of abuse last fall, and on June 12, 2007, they released their work, a 24-page study showing that abuse in Alabama carries a staggering $521 million price tag.
First Lady, Patsy Riley, who was on hand to announce the results at the Governor's Mansion, said she was shocked by the high amount and yearns for the "marvelous" day when the number of abuse cases can be reduced to "almost nothing." "Can you imagine what Alabama could do with $500 million?" Riley asked, adding that she thought the price would more like $5,000, $5 million, or even $50 million, not more than 1/2 billion dollars!"
Alabama's children "deserve a wonderful future, not damaged goods," she said. "They deserve it and it's up to us to give it to them."
The study was done by the University of Alabama's Center for Business and Economic Research, which used state data to calculate its figures. The tab for abuse was separated into two categories: direct costs, such as hospitalization bills and costs to the child welfare system; and direct costs like lost productivity to society and adult criminality.
Sonny Ryan, Judge of the District and Juvenile Court for Hale County, said he routinely sees the effects of abuse in his courtroom and estimates that more than half of the cases he hears involve children or young teens who have experienced some form of abuse or neglect He said 26,992 cases of abuse in Alabama children were reported for last year, and the study gives additional "concrete information to the general public."
Paul Smelley, deputy director of the Department of Child Abuse and Neglect, said the new information helps advocates by giving them easy-to-grasp figures to cite in literature and when talking to legislators about budgeting needs. He said while some national groups have calculated abuse cost across the country, this is the first study looking at the Alabama cost.
A 2001 study by Prevent Child Abuse America showed abuse costs the country $94.1 billion annually. "It's better to put money in prevention than treatment," said Smelley, whose department oversees the state's Children Trust Fund. "About 85 percent of our total budget goes to grants (to fund prevention programs). If we just look alone at the money we're spending on corrections, we'd see it's better to help avoid the abuse in the first place."
Riley also gave an update on the Parenting Assistance Line launched last month. The PAL line is now fully operational with counselors answering phones at the University of Alabama's Child Development Resources department and giving advice. More than 200 calls were received last month, she said. "There will be thousands of families that are going to be saved by this, but if only one child is going to be a better parent and then their children grow up to be good parents, this will have been a success," she said. "Just think of the one stone in the pond that's going to be rippled."
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