Don’t forget North Carolina’s abused and neglected children
• Every five minutes a child is abused or neglected in North Carolina
• 25-40 children die each year in North Carolina as a result of abuse.
• Abuse and neglect do not discriminate by social, economic, or ethnic background
• 85% of the time the perpetrator of child abuse and neglect is a biological parent.
• In about half of the cases, these children understand abuse before they learn to read
• 9,527 NC children in foster care
• 79,048 grandparents raising their grandchildren in North Carolina.

Don’t forget North Carolina’s poor and hungry children
• A child is born into poverty every 28 minutes in North Carolina.
• North Carolina has over 420,000 poor children (20.7%)
• North Carolina ranks 31st among states in the percent of children who are poor.
• 288,040 children receive food stamps
• 82,312 receive Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Note: The maximum monthly TANF cash assistance for a family of three is $272.

Don’t forget North Carolina’s at-risk children
• A child or teen in North Carolina is killed by gunfire every 4 days.
• Of the 86 killed last year, 48 were homicides; 31 suicides; 7 accidents.
• A child in North Carolina dies before his or her first birthday every 9 hours.
• 12.8% of 16-19 year olds are not enrolled in school and are not high school graduates.
• 45,879 juveniles were arrested last year in NC.
• 2,915 children and teens are in NC correctional facilities.
(Figures provided by Prevent Child Abuse NC and Children’s Defense Fund, State of America’s Children 2004)

Don’t forget children in need across America
• Every 35 seconds a child is confirmed as abused or neglected
• Every 19 seconds a child is arrested
• Every 40 seconds a baby is born into poverty
• Every 4 minutes a child is arrested for drug abuse
• Every eight minutes a child is arrested for violent crimes
• Every 43 minutes a child or teen dies in an accident
• Every 3 hours a child or teen is killed by a firearm
• Every 5 hours a child or teen commits suicide
• Every 6 hours a child is killed by abuse or neglect

Every Day in America:
• 4 children are killed by abuse or neglect
• 5 children or teens commit suicide
• 8 children or teens are killed by firearms
• 182 children are arrested for violent crimes
• 366 children are arrested for drug abuse
• 1,186 babies are born to teen mothers
• 2,171 babies are born into poverty
• 2,455 children are confirmed as abused or neglected
• 2,539 high school students drop out
• 4,440 children are arrested
• 17,072 public school students are suspended.

More Facts about America’s Children
• 1 in 3 will be poor at some point in their childhood
• 1 in 3 is behind a year or more in school
• 1 in 5 was born poor
• 1 in 7 never graduates from high school
• 1 in 8 lives in a family receiving food stamps
• 1 in 8 has a worker in their family but still is poor
• 1 in 13 will be arrested at least once before age 17
• 1 in 14 lives at less than half the poverty level
• 1 in 83 will be in state or federal prison before age 20
• 1 in 1,339 will be killed by guns before age 20
(Facts and figures provided by The Children’s Defense Fund, State of America’s Children 2004)