PHILADELPHIA, PA – Councilman Bill Green and Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Anne Marie Ambrose are proud to announce the new Freedom From Abuse Rights (FFAR) initiative – an innovative, child-centered approach to child abuse awareness and prevention. Councilman Green is introducing related legislation requiring data-tracking and reporting on the initiative.
It is befitting that our city of brotherly love and sisterly affection lead the effort to empower children with Freedom From Abuse Rights,” Green said.  “Through this innovative education effort, which we hope will be adopted by jurisdictions across the country, we will significantly reduce the occurrence of child abuse and minimize the broader social impact of such abuse.”
Prevention of child abuse is the ultimate goal of DHS.  Empowering children with the education and tools to keep them safe gives our most important stakeholder a voice in child abuse prevention,” DHS Commissioner Ambrose remarked.  “I want to thank Councilman Green for bringing the FFAR proposal to DHS.  We look forward to continuing to work with him to implement it.”
The FFAR disclosure empowers children by:  (1) educating them about their basic human right to not be abused; (2) educating them, through age-appropriate information, about what constitutes abuse; and (3) providing them with contact information to child protection professionals who investigate allegations of abuse.  
DHS has agreed to see that FFAR is extended to all children who are under a Child Protective Services order and work with Council to track results.
Under the proposed legislation, DHS will report on the children who have been informed of their rights to not be abused.  For the benefit of children with low literacy levels, cognitive disabilities, or language barriers, a pamphlet containing written disclosure and illustrations that convey and express the verbal message will be provided.
By educating and empowering children to stop abuse, new behaviors and social standards will follow children into adulthood and break the cycle of child abuse,” Green said.
There are approximately 790 indicated cases of child abuse each year in Philadelphia.   Abused children are at increased risk of:
Mental illness
Substance abuse
Developmental disabilities and learning problems
Social problems with other children and with adults
Teen pregnancy
Lack of success in school
Alcohol and other drug use
Domestic violence
Chronic illnesses.
A child-centered approach to child abuse prevention will begin to transform our social conscience on this issue,” Ambrose noted.
The estimated annual cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States for 2007 was $104 billion (see www.childhelp.org) . Children who experience child abuse and neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.  Over 60% of people in drug rehabilitation centers report being abused or neglected as a child.  Approximately 80% of 21-year-olds who were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder.
FFAR gives children a voice and helps them prevent or stop all forms of abuse.  I applaud and thank the Department of Human Services and Commissioner Ambrose for working with us on this important initiative,” Green concluded.