As noted in Safe Passage’s report, “Minnesota Child Fatalities from Maltreatment 2014-2022,” 78% of all child fatalities in Minnesota occurred within the first 3 years of life. More than half of those deaths were children under the age of 1.
These are babies. Our children are our most vulnerable population, largely because they rely solely on the adults around them for their care and protection. When we examine the circumstances that often lead our children into the child welfare system, there’s always a recurring theme. Poverty, mental health, food insecurity, healthcare accessibility, educational access and the lists go on. In the public health world, we call these “root causes.” How can we address root causes to prevent child deaths due to maltreatment?
It is not enough for us to focus on the needs of children after they’ve entered the child welfare system. We must also focus on the contributing factors that pipeline children into the child welfare system. After all, children eventually grow up.
Frederick Douglass said it best. “It is easier to build strong children than it is to repair broken men.” Let’s commit to the work of building strong children.