Sacramento Statistics

• In 1999, Sacramento County Child Protective Services Emergency Response In-take received an average of 4,529 telephone calls per month.
• On average, 1,543 referrals of alleged child abuse and/or neglect were made per month for the period of July – December 1999.
• The percentage of child abuse reports (referrals) by type of allegation for the period of July – December 1999:
  • 39.4% General Neglect
  • 22.7% Physical Abuse
  • 12.5% Sexual Abuse
  • 7.6% Severe Neglect
  • 9.0% Caretaker Absence/Incapacity
  • 6.4% Emotional Abuse
  • 2.9% At Risk, but not Abused
  • .5% Exploitation
• During the six-month period of July – December 1999, CPS responded to 9,192 reports of alleged child abuse and neglect. Of those reports, 1,957 (21.3%) required an immediate response; 3,993 (43.4%) required a 10-day response; and 3,242 (35.3%) were referred to another service provider.
• Out of the 13,132 allegations of child abuse during the six-month period of July – December 1999, 34.1% were substantiated, 49.4% were inconclusive, and 16.4% were unfounded.
• During the period of January – December 1999, 3,867 children were placed in protective custody. During that same period, 452 were returned home, and 436 adoptions were finalized.
• Sacramento CPS employs 909.7 full time equivalent staff.

• There were a total of 165 child deaths accounted for in Sacramento County.
• In 1998, 7 children died as a result of child abuse and neglect.
• Children under five years of age are at the highest risk. Children under five account for just under one-third of Sacramento County's population, yet they accounted for over two-thirds of all child deaths.
• Nearly half of the children who died faced disturbing risk factors. In 1997, 51% and in 1998, 44 percent of the children in 1998 who died, lived in environments where one or more risk factors were present. Those risk factors include:
  • Substance Abuse
  • History of Abuse and Neglect
  • Domestic Violence 
  • Violent Crime
  • Gang Involvement
  • Caretakers not married to each other
  • Most likely to be on public assistance
• Substance abuse was the leading factor found in 1 out of 4 homes of the children that died. Substance abuse was a risk factor in 43 deaths, or 26 percent of all child deaths.
• One out of 10 children who died lived in environments where domestic violence was a factor. Domestic violence was a factor in 20 homes, or 12 percent of all child deaths. 22 deaths" were judged to involve "questionable circumstances." These deaths included some element of neglect and/or poor judgement skills on the part of the caretaker.
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) was the number one cause of death for infants aged 1 month to 1 year. SIDS accounted for a total of 18 deaths, or 11% of all child deaths. Two-thirds of the SIDS deaths occurred within the first four month of life.
• Most of the children who died in 1998, perished from peri-natal conditions. A significant number of their mothers received little or no medical care during their pregnancies, which suggests that these deaths may have been preventable.
• A total of 11 deaths, or 7% of all child deaths involved motor vehicles. For each motor vehicle fatality, 16 children were hospitalized due to injuries from vehicle accidents.
• The number of suicides among children and adolescents doubled in Sacramento County from 4 in 1996 to 8 in 1998. Two of the children who killed themselves were only 11 years of age.
• Three of the deaths involved infants who were found trapped and suffocated between an adult bed and a wall.
• The eight leading causes of death were:
  • Peri-natal conditions
  • Congenital anomalies
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
  • Homicides
  • Motor Vehicle Accidents
  • Cancers
  • Suicides
  • Drowning