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The NACC is the nation's only charity dedicated specifically to the legal representation of maltreated children. Each year in America, over 1 million children suffer abuse and neglect. These are not cases of marginal parenting or spanking. These are judicially determined incidents of beatings, sexual assault and the kind of neglect which results in serious health problems. 1000 of these children die each year. Most victims are infants and small children.

This condition is a national emergency as serious as any disease or health care crisis. It is not confined to the poor nor does it follow racial, ethnic or religious boundaries. Children carry the effects of abuse and neglect with them for a lifetime. They become dysfunctional human beings - juvenile delinquents, adult criminals and prostitutes. Perhaps worst of all, they become abusive parents themselves, carrying their learned behavior to the next generation. If that were not enough, the "cleanup cost" to society is literally in the billions of dollars.

The NACC responds to this crisis by providing a voice to voiceless children. Child abuse cases are handled in the court system, an adversarial process dependent upon quality legal representation. Neither federal, state nor local governments insure that children are well represented. Parties to court proceedings who are not represented do not do well. Imagine yourself in court without legal counsel. Even well educated adults cannot speak for themselves in our court system. Now imagine you are an abused and frightened child about to enter a courtroom where the outcome may literally be a matter of life or death.

The NACC speaks for these children. We are 2000 lawyers (and court involved physicians, therapists and social workers) who have dedicated our professional lives to legal advocacy for children. Our clients cannot pay us so we work for little or no compensation and we work without traditional attorney resources such as support staff and libraries. Some of us handle as many as 300 cases a year. The NACC also provides training, education and technical assistance and serves as a voice in the creation of new law and policy which promotes the welfare of children. The NACC's Child Advocacy Resource Center serves not only attorneys, but also children and families who need help. We maintain the nation's only referral database of children's law professionals which anyone can access toll free.

While responding to the children caught in this crisis, we are also concerned with preventing it. The NACC is a steering committee member of "Convening a National Call to Action: Working Toward the Elimination of Child Maltreatment" a new multidisciplinary national effort to develop a national work plan to eliminate child maltreatment.

Please join us in our work by making a donation to the NACC today.

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