Speak up for powerless children

Thank you for writing about the nightmare of child abuse (Deseret Morning News series "Killing Our Children"), a subject that most of us can't bear to think about. Few of us want to know the details. But without public attention to those details, there cannot be a consensus on the expectations, boundaries or powers that should frame the state's efforts to protect children from harm by their parents or caretakers.

Once again lawmakers will debate several child welfare bills during this legislative session. Of particular concern is HB202 Child Welfare Revisions (Rep. Wayne Harper), a 97-page bill that changes more than 40 sections of the law and significantly reduces protections for children from abuse and neglect. Lessening protections for children, as is proposed in HB202, could lead to children unnecessarily suffering and possibly dying.

Responding to calls from doctors, police, teachers and grandparents who believe a child has been mistreated, caseworkers from the Division of Child and Family Services knock on doors, ask personal questions, look inside refrigerators and check children's bodies for bruises and burn marks. They have the power to take children temporarily from their homes and parents, if the risk of harm appears severe. They also have the discretion to determine that nothing serious happened, or that it is safe for the child to remain home while the family receives services.

The stakes are high. Overestimating the degree of danger could needlessly shatter a family and rupture the child's closest relationships. Underestimating the danger could mean suffering or even death. The decisions caseworkers make every day would challenge King Solomon, yet most of them lack Solomon's wisdom, few enjoy his credibility with the public and none command his resources.

In the highly emotional issue of how to protect children and also respect the privacy of the family, we need to remember whose voice is not heard in the debate — the children who are the victims of abuse. Children are powerless to ensure their own well-being. They must rely upon us to protect them when their families and other loved ones fail to do so. That means speaking up and speaking out on their behalf against bills like HB202.

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Karen Crompton is executive director of Voices for Utah Children, a nonprofit child advocacy organization.