Gov. Paul LePage, and his fellow governors all across our nation, are issuing proclamations naming April “Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month.” It's a fitting time to spotlight the heartbreaking affects abuse and neglect have on our most vulnerable children, and renew our commitment to ending the tragedies created by such actions.

Anyone who has been a parent knows it's a tough job, particularly when children are very young. Some families without natural role models and extended family close by need support to understand their children’s health and safety needs and to develop basic parenting skills. Without this support, thousands of Maine’s children face a heightened risk of abuse and neglect that can endanger their lives and well-being.

According to the annual Maine Kids Count Report, published by the Maine Children’s Alliance, more than 4,000 children in Maine were substantiated victims of child abuse and neglect in 2012. This number is alarming in and of itself. But it’s especially troubling to those of us in law enforcement when we realize that statistic has increased over the past two years, reversing the previous trend of declining number of child victims of abuse and neglect. Here in Lincoln County, we have also experienced a growth in child abuse cases: There were 60 cases in 2011; 78 in 2012; and 70 in 2013.

We also know from our experiences in law enforcement and from research that the number of reported abuse and neglect cases is just a fraction of the actual incidents, since this particular crime is historically under-reported.

We also are too keenly aware that abuse victims are more likely than non-victims to become abusers themselves, or involved in other crime. One research study tells us that about one-third of adults who were abused will abuse their own children. Other research shows that abused children are 29 percent more likely to become violent criminals as juveniles or adults who otherwise would have avoided such crimes if not for the abuse and neglect they endured as children.

Research has also shown that approximately half of the youth arrested for delinquency had been abused or neglected earlier in their lives. The sad fact is that year after year, abuse and neglect creates more violence and crimes.

Fortunately, many young families in Maine are getting the help they need through the Maine Families Home Visiting Program. In this program caring professionals help parents build skills and confidence for managing the stresses of parenting a young child. They provide tools for understanding child behavior and addressing behavior challenges. These interventions can go a long way in ensuring children’s health and safety.

In 2013, the Maine Families home visiting program served more than 2,300 families and 2,500 children over the course of just over 21,000 home visits. During this time period, Maine Families served increasing numbers of families involved in Child Protective Services. Among families who had been involved with Child Protective Services at the time of enrollment, 95 percent had no further substantiated allegations for child abuse or neglect during their participation with Maine Families.

Maine Families’ other outcomes are impressive. Last year, 93 percent of the children were up to date on immunizations, 99.5 percent had a primary care provider, 97 percent had health insurance and 89 percent were up to date on their well-child checkups. All of these statistics are higher than the state averages.

Home visitors also help families prevent potential injuries and trips to the emergency room by conducting a home safety assessment and then assisting families to address any identified problems. In addition, home visitors identified about 130 children with possible developmental delays and referred these children to early support services, to address these delays before the children become school age.

Not all children who are abused will turn to crime or abuse their own children. But giving at-risk children the best odds of success is important — and that’s what Maine Families does.

Here in Maine we ask the governor and state legislators to support and expand the Maine Families program to serve more families in need. At the national level we are calling on Maine’s congressional delegation to work with their colleague to reauthorize and fund home visiting programs this session as well. It is our hope that Maine’s youngest citizens are in the forefront of policymakers’ minds — not only during April, but all year.