Government Action

       Aside from the programs that have already been set up for prevention and helping those who have suffered through abuse, there are still things that government can do to take action on child abuse. One of these could be to make a law that anyone who is expecting to have a child is required to take parenting classes. Included in these classes would be strategies to use when feelings of anger arise, how to take care of your child so they are not neglected, and other courses that could help prevent all types of child abuse. Also included in the course would be how to ensure the child's safety and how to determine whether or not a person can be fully trusted with their children. The classes could be long, as in a week or two, or they could be short, as in a day or two. But either way, the future parent(s)/ guardian(s) would be required to pass a test at the end of the course that ensures they understand how to care for a child. Also, they would have to pass a mental health examination, and if they had any prior mental issues, they would have to receive counseling until  it was further determined on whether or not they are mentally ready to have a child. If they are, they can have their child. If they fail to take this class, pass the test, or pass the mental health examination, they would not be allowed to have their child until they could do so. They could see them, but they could not care for them. Also, they would have to pay a fee for the class and the mental examination. Lastly, they would have to make a minimum amount of money a year to ensure that they could afford a child. If a test is failed, there would be a period of time before they could take it again.

      Once a parent/ guardian has passed all of these tests and has their child, there could be a social worker that regularly checks up on the family to be sure that everything is going well. Once every six months or somewhere along those lines would be reasonable. Of course, this social worker would know the signs of child abuse really well and s/he would also know domestic violence signs, which would hopefully help keep the children out of danger, as well. If, after a few years, the social worker decides that the parent(s)/guardian(s) are treating their children correctly, then the check ups would be less frequent. If they suspected anything, they would report it and investigate it further. If it was determined that the parent(s)/ guardian(s) are not fit to raise a child, then the child would be placed in foster care, go live with a relative, or be placed somewhere similar to this. Although this would be tough on the child, it would probably beat getting abused. Lastly, the parent(s)/ guardian(s) would be prosecuted immediately for child abuse, domestic violence, or whatever else the child may have been taken away for.
        Similar to random drug tests, the government could (along with the classes and regular check ups) perform random check ups. The public would know that random check ups happen, but they wouldn't know who would get them or when, so it may encourage them to take better care of their kids.The biggest issue with my suggestion would probably be money. How can we pay for all of this? I guess the answer is via taxes. Although many would rather not pay more taxes, statistics show that it would actually cost the community 19 times less to prevent child abuse rather than have to pay to help them recover (found at http://sfcapc.org/press_room/information_about_child_abuse_and_prevention?gclid=CMH41Jrs27QCFQpgMgodigYAnA).