RELEASE: September 23, 2003

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DHS Commissioner asks health officers to partner in preventing child abuse
Asks health officials to see child abuse as a “public health crisis”

Addressing the Department of Health and Senior Services’ Annual State and Local Health Officials Conference in Princeton on September 15, Human Services Commissioner Gwendolyn L. Harris asked health officials and staff to join the collaborative community team needed to safeguard New Jersey’s children.

Following the conference theme “Back to the Future of Public Health,” she asked attendees to put child abuse and neglect on their future radarscopes. After summarizing the Division of Youth and Family Services’ (DYFS) Transformation Plan and its initiatives begun as the result of tragic child deaths, a court ordered oversight panel, and a standard federal review, Commissioner Harris asked public health officials to keep a watchful eye out for potentially abusive family situations.

She also described an increasing trend in infant deaths as a result of child abuse and neglect, citing shaken baby syndrome, improper supervision and substance abuse as the primary causes of these infant deaths over the past five years. Since forty percent of child deaths from abuse and neglect were in families unknown to DYFS, she also stressed interdepartmental and agency communications.

As she explained how public health officials can link community resources to troubled families and can educate the public about parenting skills such as never shaking babies and properly supervising children, Commissioner Harris urged them teach citizens to contact DYFS when they see signs of abuse or suspect abusive situation. “I want you to consider child abuse and neglect a public health crisis,” she said.

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To reach the DYFS Hotline, call 1-800-331- DYFS. Stressed parents can call 1-800-THE KIDS.