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Child Maltreatment Data

Each year, the Children's Bureau releases a detailed report exploring the data found in the 2021 Child Maltreatment Report, which covers child abuse and neglect known to child protective services agencies in the United States. The 2021 Child Maltreatment Report is an important resource relied upon by researchers, practitioners, and advocates throughout the world.

The report answers questions such as:

How many children are the subject of child abuse and neglect reports each year?
What types of maltreatment are reported?
What are the ages, genders, and other characteristics of child victims?
How many children die each year from child maltreatment?

It also provides information about the services provided by State and local child protective services (CPS) agencies to children and families each year. These services, provided both when children remain in their homes and when they must enter foster care, are intended to remedy the conditions that brought the family to the attention of the CPS agency and/or to prevent future instances of child maltreatment:

Approximately 1.8 million children received prevention services in fiscal year 2021.
Approximately two-thirds (58.0%) of victims received post-response services (such as family preservation, family support, or foster care) because of needs discovered during an investigation or alternative response.
During fiscal year 2021, fewer than one-quarter (20.2 percent) of confirmed maltreatment victims were removed from their homes because of an investigation or alternative response

These data include only services provided or funded by State and local CPS agencies. We also recognize the critical work of the thousands of community-based agencies that offer additional services to these and other families to help keep children safe and help their families thrive.

To access additional information and resources on child abuse and neglect prevention, visit the State Child Abuse and Neglect Policies Database.

The Children's Bureau, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funds the National Child Abuse Prevention Month initiative each April on the Child Welfare Information Gateway.