The prevalence of child maltreatment in the United States is staggering. At least 1 in 7 children has experienced abuse or neglect in the last year, according to the U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), though the CDC cautions that abuse and neglect are often unreported.
Recognizing the church’s important role in addressing this, the ELCA Church Council authorized the develop a social message on child protection and maltreatment, as requested by the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Social messages are ELCA teaching documents that draw from existing social teaching but focus direct attention on a particular social issue.
Public Feedback
A draft of this social message has been released for public feedback. We invite you to share your comments and suggestions during the public comment period, from March 21 through June 30. Click here to read the draft and click here to complete an online survey. If you have questions or written comments, please send them to us here. You can access the draft in large print here. A Spanish translation of the draft can be found here. Feedback in Spanish should be sent here.
The draft will be strengthened using the public feedback and presented to the ELCA Church Council for a vote this fall.
