In politics today, money talks - and the nonprofit group Every Child Matters says since kids aren't high-dollar campaign contributors, the presidential candidates aren't paying attention to their needs.
The group cites child abuse prevention as one of its major concerns. In Illinois, 350 children died from abuse or neglect in the five years from 2006 to 2010. Executive director Michael Petit says one of the group's priorities is legislation that has gotten little attention in Congress. He says it would convene an expert panel to curb deaths from child abuse and neglect, which he says are preventable and significantly under-reported: "Look at our nation's system of child protection, our social safety net as it exists for children, and to make recommendations on how to build a child protection system that allows children to thrive, instead of one that fails to protect children."
Petit says there have been more child-abuse deaths in the United States than casualties in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars since those conflicts began. He says more than 80 percent of the victims are under the age of four.
Child Advocates Say Presidential Campaign Ignoring Kids Needs
