Health reform will help young people avoid brushes with the law

AS law-enforcement leaders, we witness crime every day and are exposed to the worst acts of violence that one person can commit against another. Although this is part of our job, it is never easy to accept. Perhaps the most haunting acts of violence we've seen are those involving the abuse or mistreatment of children.

Day after day, children across our country suffer abuse and neglect at the hands of those they are taught to trust the most — their families. Each year, an estimated 2.7 million children across the U.S. are abused or neglected.

In Washington state, nearly 7,000 confirmed cases of child abuse were reported in 2007. Research indicates the more accurate number abused in Washington was closer to 21,000, as many cases are not reported. As law-enforcement officers, we often arrive after the abuse has occurred and the damage done — one of the reasons many law-enforcement leaders across the state are supporting efforts known to protect at-risk children.

In June, Congress is expected to begin considering proposals for reforming our nation's health-care system. Health-care reform can and should include initiatives that protect children and as a result reduce crime and violence.

One of the best ways to protect children from abuse is to prevent it. The Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) has proved that home visiting can dramatically reduce child abuse. This voluntary program sends trained professionals to at-risk expectant mothers and helps them understand the challenges of impending parenthood. Research published by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows this program cut abuse among at-risk kids in half, and concluded that children of coached mothers had 60 percent fewer arrests by age 15 than children of mothers not participating in the program.

Health-care-reform legislation can also ensure coverage for pregnant women, with benefits that include substance-abuse treatment. Not only is a pregnant drug user harming herself, but her actions often have damaging effects on her unborn child. And once the child is born to a mother hooked on drugs, the chances that this child will be abused or neglected increase substantially. Health-care reform must cover pregnant women and ensure treatment for alcohol and drug abuse. Not only will this help the mother get clean, it also can protect the health and safety of her new child.

We also hope Congress will address the need for screening and treatment of children with mental-health and behavioral problems. Nearly one in 10 children suffer from a serious mental-health problem, but 75 to 80 percent of children needing mental-health treatment do not receive it. While most youth with untreated mental-health problems pose no threat to public safety, those who have severe behavioral or emotional problems are more likely to end up on the wrong side of the law. They are likely to grow up to commit violent crimes themselves and jeopardize the safety and well-being of others.

While arresting troubled youth temporarily gets them off the streets, for many it's only a matter of time before they are back behind bars on another charge at the taxpayers' expense. They need access to family-therapy programs that are proved to reduce recidivism. These programs work with at-risk families to effectively change the child's behavior and move children off the streets and back into the classroom. Health reform should ensure improved access for children to screening, diagnosis and treatment.

Over the course of our careers, we have seen too many kids end up in serious trouble. We ask Sen. Maria Cantwell, in her role on the Senate Finance Committee, to invest in our children — our future — by championing these important health-care-reform measures that keep our children safe and protect our communities.

Kevin Milosevich is Renton police chief, Scott Kimerer is Burien police chief and James Kelly is Auburn police chief.